Arcane Crisis
by Chemotaxis
Summary: The SeeD Commander is on the hunt for a playmate. Seifer/Squall. WIP.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy or any of the characters in this story, nor do I profit from writing this story.

**A/N**: Brief warning. The story starts out fairly mild, but will get into dangerous territory later on. Anyone squeamish when it comes to yaoi should turn back now. On that note... let's get on to playing with my two favorite boys...

Chapter 1

Black combat boots tore across hot gravel, clouds of dust born in their trail. The stifling desert air was saturated with a stale pungent smell of rotting flesh and fresh blood. A vile shriek rang across the empty wasteland as a cold blue blade slid through tough skin, tearing through to the bone. Dark liquid started oozing from the open gash and fumes hissed angrily as the liquid hit the ground.

The leather clad fighter was already aiming another blow at the colossal beast, taut muscles directing the azure weapon towards the target. A grimy paw shot through the air and stopped the warrior's path, throwing him forcefully back through the air. Burning pain caused by crushed lungs only added slightly to the already overwhelming blaze of pain felt by the dark haired man. Too aware of countless cuts, scrapes, broken bones and crushed limbs the man tried to distance himself from the beast temporarily. Unjunctioned he was unable to lessen the torrent of pain shooting through him. But he had wanted it that way. If not this way the fight would have been too easy. Pain was a motivator, a way of driving him closer to the maddening edge he had been seeking lately. It was all part off the game.

Pupils dilated with excitement, gray-blue eyes took in the state of the creature a good few meters away. Another well aimed cut or two should do the trick, the last attack having noticeably weakened the beast. Clutching his blade fiercely he ran towards the faltering creature and kept his eyes open for any indication of paws aimed his way. Inches from the putrid animal trained feet shot into the air, the lithe man flowing through the air with unnatural grace as his blade cut across the face of his enemy. Before feet reached the ground again claws tore at the fighter's arms, gripping savagely at exhausted muscles. Composed eyes faced the beast as it stumbled backwards, dragging the determined fighter with it. Freeing his right arm, the man focused all his remaining energy on wielding the cold blue blade and drove it deep into the beast's chest. Howling, the animal released its hold on the fighter to grasp at the blade, and with both hands the man twisted the blade whilst pushing the trigger at the blade's hilt. Spasms took over the beast and dry dust filled the air. It was over.

Sinking to his knees, the broken fighter could no longer suppress the biting pain. As silence rang out, the nauseating smell of burnt skin hit him full force and an unfamiliar sensation turned his eyes to his arm. Black liquid was eating its way into his skin, bare muscles already visible. Tearing of a bit of cloth from his stained shirt, he immediately worked on removing the dark liquid, abrasive movements causing excruciating pain. With clenched teeth and narrowed eyes he continued to clean off as much of the dark liquid as possible. _Water._ It was the only way to stop the acid from progressing. But he was miles away from anywhere. This was a first. The first time he'd taken it this far. Using his good arm he fished out a mobile from his pocket and focused all his thoughts on that task alone. The numbing sensation of approaching unconsciousness was setting in. _Come on. Come on._ Not bothering with a greeting when he heard the click signaling someone picking up his call, he rushed ahead.

"I'm down. 27.4 and 78.1. Hurry."

A gloved hand closed the mobile but as the fighter doubled over in pain the phone slipped out of his grasp and landed on the ground with a dull thud. Drawing in heavy breaths, convulsions started raking through his beaten form. Lying flat on the dusty ground he focused on the steady earth beneath him. Another wave of convulsions hit him, the bitter taste of vomit following in its wake. Fighting to clear his airways, his vision went dark, bright sparks dancing before his eyes.

Pale lips drawn tight suddenly relaxed and everything went still.

In the middle of the desert lay a slain beast and a broken fighter, unmoving and dead to the world. Silence reigned as a breeze caressed the ground and the midday sun bore down on them unrelentingly.

* * *

Dim light filtered through drawn curtains, diffuse shadows stretching across the stark room. On the lone bed lay the fighter, unconscious but alive. They had arrived in time. The fighter's entire left arm was covered in a white bandage, and the blonde woman perched on a borrowed stool kept glancing at it. Her usual strict expression was replaced with one of concern and worry. Reaching out to rest her hand on the man's well arm, she sighed heavily. The pale skin was cold to the touch, but less so than when they'd first found him. A buzz coming from her pocket tore her mind from the man in front of her and standing swiftly, she exited the room.

"Quistis," she answered.

"Quistis," a young woman repeated urgently, not stopping between words. "I just got your message. What happened? How is he?"

"He's okay," Quistis replied, bending her head forward whilst pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, stalling. "Squall will be fine. We got there in time. At least that's what Kadowaki keeps telling me."

A soft exhale was heard on the other end followed by an unintelligible whisper.

Remembering the horrible scene she had witnessed earlier that day, Quistis felt fury claw it's way back into her soul, threatening to overtake her.

"Rin, I'm worried", she said casting a glance towards the room she'd just left, her tone accusatory. "He went into battle unjunctioned." She paused. "All alone."

When no reply came, she continued. "You should have seen the beast. I don't know what he was thinking. It was a mammoth compared to Squall. And it was a cursed creature. Nothing to even think about attacking without being junctioned."

Neither spoke as they both pondered the meaning behind Squall's actions.

"Maybe there's a reason," the girl on the other end said softly, though unable to hide her own concern.

"No," Quistis said, sighing, conveying her exasperation. "It was in the middle of nowhere. His motorbike was parked close by. He'd hunted the thing."

"There's more," Quistis let out gingerly, revolted at what she'd been told earlier. "Kadowaki told me he's been fighting unjunctioned for a while. When treating him she found numerous scars that wouldn't disappear. He hasn't even bothered with potions to get rid of them."

"Why?" the other girl asked in a wounded whisper.

"I'm not sure," Quistis replied. "But... he seems bored and lonely."

"But he was the one tha-" the other girl started defensively before the blond cut her off.

"I know. I'm not blaming you, Rinoa. He's different to us. He doesn't enjoy the same things as us and both he and we know that."

"Bu-," Rinoa tried to cut in.

"He doesn't have anyone to fight with. I set him up with another gunblader yesterday... the best one here at Garden apart from Squall. But the guy is no match. Not even close."

"So what, we're just going to stand by while Squall kills himself because **he's bored**?" the other girl asked, not able to hide her anger and frustration.

"Xu doesn't even give him any missions at the moment. None of us get any. There aren't any. At least the rest of us have other things we like to do," Quistis stated.

"Don't make excuses Quistis!" Rinoa cried out, taking her mounting frustration out on her friend.

"I'm not! I'm just telling you how it is," Quistis said, defeated. Silence once again fell between them.

"I'm sorry," the girl on the other end of the line finally said softly.

"Me too," the blond agreed with a sigh.

"Have you told Laguna?" Rinoa asked.

"Kadowaki did."

"Should I come visit?"

"Do what you want, Rin. I have no clue what he needs right now," Quistis replied, sincere.

"I'll think about it. Let me know if anything happens, okay? I miss you Quisty," the girl said, sad.

"I will. Take care. Sorry I had to worry you with this."

"Me too," Rinoa exhaled. "Bye."

As a clicking sound signaled the end of the call the blond pressed her fingers to her forehead and started rubbing. She had a feeling her budding headache would only keep increasing in strength.

With apprehension she looked at the closed door in front of her before walking back into the room to watch over the recovering fighter.

* * *

With an uncomfortable dryness in his mouth, the fighter warily opened his eyes. His whole body was tingling pleasantly. _Aftereffects of curaga._ Swallowing, he looked around the dark room. _The infirmary_. Images of his battle with the horrid creature flashed before his eyes, supplying the information he needed. _I survived_. Sitting up in the bed he took in the view of white cotton covering his left arm. Frowning he tried to think back, but didn't remember anything happening to his arm. Last thing he remembered was impaling the creature's gut with Lion Heart. With an internal shrug he pushed himself off the bed, naked feet landing softly on the floor. Locating his clothes he quickly dressed and headed out, not caring about repercussions for leaving the infirmary without permission.

The halls were deserted and it was dark outside. Approaching the SeeD wing he felt anxious. Being parted from Lion Heart always left him with a feeling of dread.

Punching in the code to his dorm room he waited patiently for the door to slide open before stepping inside. Bright light lit up the room and frantic eyes searched the room for the familiar case. Spotting it on the dining table, Squall hurriedly walked over to the case and swung it open. His breath slowed and eyes softened at the blue glow emanating from the blade in front of him. Gloved fingers traced the blade reverently and the fighter sat down slowly.

For ages the lone figure sat in silence, stony eyes focused solely on the weapon in front of him. With a heavy heart he closed the case and crossed the room, case in hand, to switch the light back off. Walking to his bedroom he placed the heavy case next to his bed and plopped down on the hard mattress.

Empty eyes trained on the ceiling, the dark haired man lay impossibly still, mind focused on the growing anguish he felt. _No one understands_.

Fighting the creature had felt good and temporarily eased his mind. But it hadn't been enough. It hadn't been a clash of blades and a dance of metal.

Since the defeat of Ultimecia everything had changed. There hadn't been any other great threats to deal with and the skills Squall had learnt during the war made him grossly overpowered. Left without challenges he had become more and more restless and started to fight monsters unjunctioned just for the thrill. He had always been most excited and felt most alive when in a tough battle, so having that taken away from him was slowly but surely destroying him. And no one understood. Everyone else enjoyed their new positions in life and enjoyed time of relaxation. His friends would occasionally humor him with a spar, but it never left him satisfied as the fights were always magic based; their weapons and fighting techniques were no match for his skills as a gunblader. Magic was the only way of evening out the battlefield. But as a gunblader what Squall needed was to feel as one with his blade.

Squall's hands clenched and his eyes shot close in bitterness. No one was able to challenge him anymore. The gunblader Quistis had set him up with yesterday had been a pathetic excuse of a SeeD. Squall's opening move had sent the other fighter's blade flying out of his grip and before the guy had even registered the loss of his weapon Squall had been on top of the guy and pinned him to the ground. Gasping for breath the younger man had been flustered and embarrassed but Squall had been overbearing and allowed the younger man another try. But when Squall had disarmed the bewildered SeeD with just as much ease the second time around, gray-blue eyes had narrowed to thin slits and the dark haired Commander had turned on his heels and stridden off.

Scattered thoughts always returned to his blond rival whenever Squall was agonizing over the hollow feeling that was threatening to slowly drive him mad. Even now when he thought back on their spars, Squall could feel excitement build within him as he remembered the invigorating unpredictability of the blond, that which made their fights both addicting and dangerous. Angry eyes shot open and glared at the empty air above him.

_Coward._ _Why did you run?_

Angry at his own inability to track down the blond, Squall sat up in his bed and let out a deep sigh of frustration. Legs hanging limply over the edge of the bed he lent forward to rest his head in his hands. _Where are you?_ Like countless times before he started racking his brain for possible places Seifer could have gone to. Interrogating Fujin and Raijin hadn't helped. Fujin had just placed a note in his hands without a word. _Don't look for me. Be safe. _The words hadn't been meant for him but he had known their meaning. Seifer had run, hadn't wanted to face the trial facing him. And it pissed Squall off. He hated cowards that wouldn't live up to their actions, but most of all he just hated Seifer for running off like that when Squall was certain that Seifer was the only one that would understand Squall's burning need to fight, and probably the only one capable of satisfying that need.

Pulling at his hair Squall felt like his mind was fragmenting, splitting his skull apart. _I need to get out of here. _Walking over to his terminal he switched on the display, cold electric light causing long shadows to fall on his bed. Composing a message to Xu, Squall was temporarily distracted. He requested a meeting the following day, hoping he'd be able to persuade the headmaster to let him go on a mission. Clicking send, the brunet stared at the screen in silence for long minutes before he navigated to the guardian force directory. Ungloving his right hand, he held it out to the panel next to the display before pressing it firmly against the cold material. With his left hand he entered the code for Shiva and held his breath as he felt the divine spirit junction with his soul. Specks of ice crystallized in the air around him, a thin layer of frozen perspiration covering his body.

Returning to his bed he took off his clothes and lay down under the sheets. Clearing his mind he softly murmured the words of a far too familiar spell and fell into dreamless slumber.

* * *

"No, Squall, I haven't heard anything new," Laguna said, as Squall held his mobile to his ear. Squall had anticipated this answer, but had deemed it worth a try anyway. Holding the mobile between his ear and shoulder he went back to packing as the conversation dragged on.

"Are you sure you are okay, Squall?" the older man asked. It had taken a lot of Squall's patience already to assure his father that yesterday had been an accident, that he'd forgotten that he wasn't junctioned and that no, it would never happen again. Still, it seemed that his father knew something was wrong.

"Yes," Squall replied, rummaging around for his gunblade polish and some rags. "Xu gave me a mission."

"That's great. When are you going?"

"Today," Squall replied.

"Can you tell me what it's about? Or is that confidential?" the man asked, his tone light.

"Draw points. I'll be setting up perimeters around them and register their locations," Squall replied sounding less enthusiastic than he felt. He'd get to focus on something for a while and at the same time it provided the perfect opportunity for him to search for Seifer. Not to mention easy access to monsters. For the first time in months Squall felt like there would be a point to getting up in the morning.

"Nh. I see. How long will you be gone?" his father asked.

"A while," Squall answered, hopeful.

"Come by Esthar soon," Laguna pleaded.

"Maybe. I'll be in the area at some point to map out the draw points."

"You could use Esthar as a base, son."

A knock sounded from Squall's door, drawing the dark haired man's attention away from the conversation with his father.

"I gotta go," Squall said whilst closing his mobile and heading for the door, cutting short the conversation with his father.

The door opened and through it stepped Quistis, her face still twisted in anger just like it had been earlier. She had been livid when Squall had last seen her, uncharacteristic anger aimed his way because of his performance yesterday. Spotting Squall's gathered traveling packs on the dining table Quistis' eyes narrowed to mere slits.

"Running away?" she snarled, walking past him to stand in front of him, arms crossed, demanding an explanation.

"Quistis," he said trying to soothe her, but turned to his bedroom to start gathering the clothes he would need for the mission.

"I am not running," he continued as she followed him into the bedroom.

Neither said anything as he started piling shirts and trousers on the bed.

"Xu agreed to send me on a mission," he informed. "I finally have something to do."

Quistis' stern expression softened slightly at his words and she sat down on the bed to watch him as he gathered some belts from a drawer.

"Which mission?" the woman inquired, curious eyes following his moves.

"The details are up on my terminal," he said as he filled his arms with the pile that had built on the bed and went into the living room. Quistis looked over at screen and got up to find out what exactly her friend was up to.

The sound of cupboards being opened and closed again reached her as she read the specifics of the mission. Busy reading she didn't notice when Squall sat down behind her on the bed, his eyes trained on her.

"I'll be gone for a while," he said softly.

"I'll miss you," she countered, turning around to face him.

"I know," he said, sighing as their eyes locked. He knew she felt alone already. Selphie and Irvine had gone to Trabia, Rinoa to Centra and with not much happening at Garden, Zell had been spending most of his time in Balamb. Squall was the only one still around and even though he'd returned to his more introverted nature shortly after the war, Quistis had remained a friend.

"Promise me you'll stay junctioned," the blonde said, her eyes shining with worry.

Without a straight answer Squall got up from his bed and turned to leave. "I better get going."

A pale hand shot up to cling to his wrist. "Squall," she said, pleading eyes searching his profile. "Promise me."

"I will. I am," he said reluctantly. "Shiva will be with me."

With that he resumed his path and exited the bedroom.

"I'll help you carry your stuff," Quistis offered, grabbing one of the duffel bags lying on the table. With a slight nod of acceptance Squall grabbed the rest and locked up the room.

* * *

Purple bolts of electricity formed a brief dome around Squall before disappearing entirely. Another perimeter had been set up successfully, preventing civilians from using the draw point. Entering the coordinates into the device in his hands, Squall walked over to his bike. Feeling restless he eyed the rocky ledge that overlooked the beach. It was a large drop promising a long fall if one was to accidentally step over the edge. Gray-blue eyes danced at the thought and Squall couldn't help but walk closer.

Sitting down, legs hanging over the edge, Squall scanned the horizon. A cool sea breeze ruffled his hair as the afternoon sun beat down on his skin. The feel of cold rock beneath his fingers grounded him, temporarily stilling his urge to push himself forward. Despite the lack of challenge, these last months had been good to him. Being out in the sun all day, in nature, working on a task singlemindedly had soothed his nerves. It hadn't stopped him from seeking out the thrill of battle though. He'd stayed junctioned as promised but only in case of an emergency. Red lines cut across most parts of his body, their dull pain reminding him of recent battles. Whilst being junctioned he would never experience the higher levels of excitement that came from knowing his life was on the line, but for now the pact he'd made with himself of not curing his wounds served as a fine catalyst for experiencing thrill during battle and was enough to keep him sated.

He was no closer to locating Seifer, only certain that the blond was nowhere to be seen on the Galbadian continent. With hope, Squall thought back to his last conversation with Selphie. Someone had tipped her off about a man resembling the ex-knight. He had been spotted months back in the northern mountains. It wasn't much of anything, but after Squall had gotten the call his mind had slowly convinced him that he should be mapping out the draw points of Trabia next and not those of Centra as originally planned.

Looking down at the beach far below, Squall felt his stomach drop and pushed himself off the ledge. The sudden change in velocity and the tingle in his stomach as his body dropped rapidly made Squall feel alive. Just before impact, rushed words left pale lips and his body stopped inches from the ground, hovering. A tiny smile formed on usually steely lips as he motioned to stand up, his pulse ringing loudly in his ears. Wanting to feel the hot sand beneath his feet he undressed and once naked walked to the surf. Cold water licking at his body helped bring him back down from his high and calmness washed over him as he swam into the cold sea, playfully leaving trails of ice in his wake.

* * *

Walking up the stony path, Squall held his jacket tight. His cheeks were rosy from the cold winter air, but hidden by the darkness surrounding him. The path led to Matrei, a tiny village perched on a western Trabia hillside, just off Eldbeak Peninsula. This was where his search had led him and for the first time during his search for Seifer it seemed like he was on to something. His destination was a tiny pub where the local villagers gathered on many of the cold nights for warmth and company. Tonight would be the seventh night that he would join them, or rather sit in a corner of the bar and wait patiently. The patrons had easily recognized a photo of Seifer, but instead of frowning like others did upon being show a picture of the ex-knight, smiles had appeared and drunken heroic tales about dragon slaying and daring rescues had erupted from gleeful faces. They had assured him that the man in the photo joined them regularly for a night of drinking, but when he had inquired about the man's living quarters they had looked confused and fallen short.

Having already spent almost a week going to the pub every night, Squall was starting to lose faith. Maybe they had mistaken Seifer for someone else. Maybe Seifer had moved on.

Ice crystals danced in front of Squall with each breath he took and he felt himself shudder, the cold seeping through his thick layers of clothing. His bike had given up in the rough weather and all the work he had managed so far in Trabia had been on foot.

Spotting soft lights ahead he slowed down. Like nights previous he was getting anxious at the sight of the pub. Resuming his trail he ran a gloved hand through his hair and shook his shoulders to rid himself of the snow that had gathered.

Clutching the wooden door handle Squall eased open the door. Warmth assaulted him and his eyes closed in reflex at the hot onslaught. Taking in the smell of old pine, dust and alcohol he reopened his eyes to survey the room. The large burly man behind the bar gave him a perfunctory nod before returning to pouring stout.

The usual patrons were there and then some. When he turned to look at a group of them they all stopped talking and eyed him wearily, the unusual reaction alerting him to something being amiss.

Out of the corner of his eyes Squall spotted a lone figure sitting at the end of the bar and took a deep steadying breath. _Seifer._

Tensing at the sight in front of him, Squall collected his thoughts and slowly walked towards the blond.

All eyes were on Squall, following his approach in suspense. The tension was palpable and thick in the air. Why, Squall had no idea. They hadn't seemed concerned with Squall's presence or his interest in Seifer before.

Pulling out the bar stool next to Seifer, Squall hoisted himself up onto it, noticing the stern expression on the blond's face. The blond was staring determinedly at the pint of stout in his hand, ignoring Squall's approach.

Turning his gaze away from Seifer temporarily, Squall looked towards the bartender and gestured towards the drink in Seifer's hand. Ignoring Squall's request, the bulky man instead rang a bell. "Another round on the house," he hollered.

The two men sat in silence as the bartender proceeded to serve every customer a complimentary pint of the dark beverage. When the man had finished serving everyone, the pub had come alive again, no one giving the strange couple at the bar a second thought.

Squall focused on the glass in front of him and cringed slightly at the sour taste that filled his mouth every time he took a sip. Unsure of how to address the blond next to him he just sat there in silence, slowly working his way through his pint. Why wasn't Seifer in his face and yelling at him? That would have been a lot easier to deal with.

"Almasy," Squall began when he had almost finished his first pint.

Still not acknowledging Squall, the blond called for the bartender.

"A scotch, single malt, and another pint," the blond ordered.

Briefly looking at Seifer, Squall decided to follow the blond's lead.

"Same."

Out of the corner of his eyes Squall spotted a slight smirk on Seifer's lips, probably in response to the request Squall had just made, and Squall couldn't help but frown.

Drinks placed in front of them, Squall immediately downed the scotch, relishing the burning sensation it caused in his throat.

"Seifer," he tried again and turned his head to look at the blond, but the blond kept his attention fixed on the beverage in his hands, thumb absently playing with the cold water droplets clinging to the outside of the glass.

"Go home, Squall," the blond man finally replied, his voice stern, before he brought his scotch back to his lips and downed the remaining alcohol.

"We need to talk," Squall stated determinedly.

The larger man sighed and took a large sip of his stout before continuing. "What do you want, puberty boy?"

Stalling, Squall considered his options.

"Do you still fight?" he asked, deciding to be direct. "Do you still have Hyperion?"

The blond man chortled at this, but the amusement never reached his eyes. "You want revenge, huh?" He paused briefly, lips drawn tight. "Want to humiliate me one more time just for kicks? What's wrong, ever after not working out for you?" His tone was growing more poisonous by the second, green eyes sparkling in anger. "Saving the world not enough of an ego boost? Rinoa not spreading her legs wide enough? ...Or maybe she just doesn't like a cold stick between her thighs?"

Snorting, the blond got up from the bar and faced Squall with cold eyes, but the brunette was too focused on controlling his own anger to even look at the blond.

"Leave me the fuck alone," the blond demanded, eyeing the younger man in disdain. "And for the record, I could still kick your sorry ass into next week, even if you do cling onto that icy bitch like a little slut."

With that the blond turned and strode towards the exit, leaving behind an unfinished glass of stout. Squall forced himself to keep in place and not ruin everything by running after the blond prematurely. Counting to ten he slid off his stool and walked to look out the window. Seifer was gone. Leaving a large sum of gil on the counter Squall nodded his goodbye to the bartender before heading out into the cold night to pursue the blond.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far - hope you like where the fic goes in this chapter.

**Warning**: Here be bad language and naughty stuff.

Chapter 2  
  
Spotting lights in the distance, Squall was certain he had found the place he had been searching for. For over an hour he had followed Seifer's trail. At first it had been easy, the snow providing all the information Squall needed to pursue the blond, but as the trail continued down the mountain, snow had been replaced with grass. Tracking had become harder after that, so it was with great relief Squall laid eyes on the cabin up ahead.

The trees were more spread out here, the forest clearing slightly. As the lone fighter crept closer still he wondered how the ex-knight had ended up in a place like this, so far from civilization. Knowing the blond was a hunted man, it shouldn't have come as a surprise, but he had never imagined Seifer capable of living a secluded life.

Sensitized to even the faintest sounds, Squall cringed as a branch creaked beneath his boots. He still didn't know how to approach the other man, never having thought further than finding him. Even now when he was so close to his target, Squall thought about which moves he would use in a fight against the other man instead of how to get him to agree to a spar.

As Squall climbed the stairs of the porch he heard noises coming from inside. Before he could reconsider, he placed his gloved hand on the door and knocked loudly. All noise stopped and for a moment Squall halted all actions as well, alert, not knowing what to expect from the blond. When nothing happened Squall knocked again, harder this time.

Jaw clenched, the brunet became increasingly impatient but then a soft light appeared as the door in front of him was opened.

Somewhat unsteady on his feet, Seifer stood in the doorway, blocking Squall's entrance. Looking at the man in front of him, Squall noted the disheveled look to the blond and the strong odor of alcohol seeping off him.

"Leave. Me. The fuck. Alone," Seifer spat, annoyance clear in his eyes before slamming the door in Squall's face. Not missing a beat Squall jammed his foot in the doorway, sturdy boots taking most of the impact.

"Fuck," the blond muttered, his back turned to Squall as he walked back into his house.

"Persistent little shit," he cursed under his breath.

Entering the house Squall closed the door behind him whilst spotting coats, boots and rifles haphazardly placed around the small room. Soft golden light emanated from the room ahead and cast everything in a warm haze. Walking further into the house, Squall entered a long room and let his eyes roam, quickly spotting the source of light. Flames licked at freshly chopped wood in an old fireplace. At the end of the room Squall saw the blond rummaging through a cupboard in the kitchen. Not knowing what to do with himself, Squall moved to sit down in an armchair by the fireplace.

"Make yourself comfortable, why don't you..." Seifer said, irritated, as he proceeded to pour himself a tumbler of rum.

Spotting a collection of gunblades mounted on the wall around the fireplace, Squall took in the blades with a mix of awe and surprise. Most weapon shops held only one or two blades at most, never more than that. In reverence Squall examined the blades more closely. Some held exotic designs whilst others were minimalistic with stark edges. Realization set in and an awkward shiver ran through Squall as he acknowledged that this place was obviously home to Seifer, a place that was starting to cause an unfamiliar notion of envy to settle in the brunet.

Knowing he might as well face Squall, and find out what the hell the younger man wanted, Seifer sat down on the couch. Taking a closer look at his one time rival, Seifer noted gray-blue eyes glazed over and unfocused, their gaze directed at the gunblades mounted on the wall. Long bangs of dark hair were unkempt and unruly as usual, more fitting on a rebellious teenager than a seasoned warrior. Deeper lines marred the younger man's face bearing witness to the time that had separated them. Another thing that separated the man in front of Seifer from the reflection in his memory was the tanned skin of the brunet.

"Why are you here Squall?" Seifer finally asked, drawing the brunet's gaze.

Noting the tiredness under the slight slur of Seifer's words, Squall recognized the blond's resignation to finally hear him out.

"I... is Hyperion here?" Squall asked, being straightforward.

"Not a clue why you're so obsessed with the beauty, but yes, she's upstairs," the blond replied, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Touch her and not even the blood of a phoenix will bring you back."

Nodding in affirmation, Squall looked Seifer over.

"You still fight," Squall commented, regarding Seifer's solid build.

"Whats it to you?" Seifer asked, leaning back to spread his arms along the back of the couch, baring his chest in the process.

"Not revenge," Squall said in a low voice, answering Seifer's earlier question as his eyes traveled up to meet Seifer's.

"Then what?" Seifer asked, as he tried to figure out Squall's intentions. Eyes locked, silence fell between them.

"There's no one else," Squall said in annoyance, averting his eyes as his face conveyed the distress he felt. Nearly choking on his rum, Seifer coughed, green eyes dancing in mirth.

"Come again?"

Fully aware that the blond had heard every word, Squall kept quiet but moved his head back to stare at Seifer in irritation to which the blond responded by chuckling.

"Clarify. I'm out of practice with the whole mind reading bullshit," Seifer said.

Squall rolled his eyes in reply, already exasperated by the blond's behavior. "We need to spar."

"Hn," came the quick reply.

Getting up from his place on the couch Seifer went quiet, contemplating what his former rival was saying and more importantly what he wasn't saying. Buttoning his shirt up slightly, Seifer decided some more rum was probably the best answer for now.

Grabbing the bottle on the counter Seifer could feel eyes on his back and turned around to hold up the glass and bottle in invitation. Squall nodded before moving his gaze to stare at bright flames instead. Walking over to Squall with less grace than he would've liked, Seifer held out a glass of rum.

Looking up before accepting, Squall tried to understand why Seifer was suddenly being hospitable. At a loss for any explanation, Squall took the glass from Seifer's hand and brought it to his lips. The dark amber liquid slid down effortlessly and caused a pleasant tingle to spread at the back of his throat.

Returning to the kitchen Seifer grabbed another glass. "And why do we need to spar?" he asked over his shoulder, pouring his own drink.

"Don't you miss it?" Squall questioned, surprised at the civility of their exchange.

The loud noise of the bottle of rum being placed forcefully on the kitchen table startled Squall and brought him back on edge. Then a low rumble of building laughter sounded from the blond.

"What?" Squall demanded, irritation seeping into his voice.

"You need me," Seifer replied, amused at the realization. "Hard to get my head around it, but there it is. You **need** me."

Wearing a shit-eating grin, Seifer walked back to the couch and plopped down on it.

"Whatever," Squall said, glancing away wearily.

"What do I get in return?" Seifer asked, lowering his gaze whilst pondering the possibilities. Only one thing kept coming up. _My freedom_. Green eyes filled with hope and Seifer set his jaw in determination. "Well?"

"I could just attack you," Squall offered.

The smirk on Seifer's face faltered, annoyed at where Squall was leading the conversation. "Then why the fuck haven't you?" he spat.

"Ambushing gives me an unfair advantage," Squall replied simply.

"Hn," Seifer snorted, used to Squall's pragmatism. "Well, I'm not gonna fight you, Squally-boy. Wouldn't wanna waste my precious energy. Attack if you want but I won't fight back," Seifer said, challenging Squall. He knew Squall would never attack someone who wasn't fighting back; it was one of the moral codes the brunet subjected himself to. "So unless you're going to make it worth my time you'd better be on your way."

For a few minutes the two men glared at each other, one stare ice cold, face set in stone, the other lit up in challenge, chin held high.

"I know where you are. Others might be interested to know as well," Squall tried but held little hope Seifer would fall for the empty threat.

"Do what you want Squall. You always have," Seifer stated. If Squall was going to rat him out so be it. He wasn't about to let puberty boy gain any leverage over him. Besides, the brunet had never been a tattletale.

A frown made its appearance on the brunet's forehead as he realized the futility of the situation. Seifer was never one to back down and it seemed the other man was not going to give Squall what he wanted without something in return.

"Name it then," Squall offered, leaning forward in his chair. There was no other way around it. He needed a proper fight and there wasn't much he wouldn't pay to experience the thrill of playing with Lion Heart against an equal. Gloved fingers twitched eagerly at the prospect of getting what he'd come for.

Sensing the shift in Squall, Seifer leaned forward as well, instilling an air of confidentiality.

"My pardon," Seifer stated seriously, green eyes searching gray-blue ones. "Signed by daddy dearest."

The slight frown appearing on Squall's face did nothing to please Seifer, and a pain long suppressed started resurfacing. Even though he had come to terms with his past and learnt to live with the present he still missed Raijin and Fujin.

"That's impossible," Squall said, disappointment clear in his voice. There was no way he could arrange that.

"For you? Hero of the world, son of the president of Esthar?" Seifer asked in disbelief. Angry, he got to his feet. "Guess that's it then. You know your way out."

Squall looked up just in time to see Seifer gesture at the exit.

"Name something else," Squall entreated, his voice low and eyes sincere. Being so close to getting what he wanted just to be turned away made him panic. "Anything."

Narrowing his eyes, Seifer took in the sight of the younger man before him. It was clear that Squall would trade a great deal for the fight and that he was honest about not being able to get the pardon.

The crushing feeling of injustice was tearing at Seifer like a freshly cut wound. He had been mind fucked, twisted, bent and humiliated by the sorceress and now the world had the gall to want him to pay, whilst they worshiped puberty boy for having been at the right place at the right time. Squall hadn't done anything different than what any other trained SeeD would have done. Narrowing his eyes at the target in front of him a warped idea occurred to Seifer that soothed his flayed nerves with a peculiar sense of justice.

"Okay," Seifer said, voice harsh and eyes flashing in barely suppressed rage, eyeing Squall in challenge. "I want your humiliation."

Feeling the animosity radiating off Seifer in waves, Squall instinctively got to his feet to face the blond.

"How?" Squall asked, uncertain of what Seifer had in mind.

"If I told you, it would work a treat, wouldn't it?" Seifer replied, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Briefly considering his options, Squall hesitated.

"It stays between us," Squall stated, reluctantly agreeing. He couldn't imagine Seifer capable of doing anything Squall couldn't handle. He'd lived through worse. He had his shell. And Hyne knew his body and soul was starved for a proper fight. "Fine."

Smirking at his victory, Seifer began to consider how best to reach his new goal.

Dismissing the conceited smirk, Squall rolled his eyes at the blond, conveying just how little the deal fazed him. "I'll do what you want tonight," he said more firmly. "But tomorrow, we fight."

Green eyes shone in amusement and at the sight Squall felt strangely invigorated, the unpredictable ex-knight always managing to cause a stir.

"I want to see Hyperion first," Squall added, needing concrete proof that they would indeed be fighting like old times.

"Go ahead. She's in my bedroom," Seifer said, gesturing towards stairs at the end of the room.

Slightly worried at the maddened gleam to Seifer's eyes, Squall turned around slowly and headed for the stairs. Hearing no footsteps in pursuit the brunet slowed his breath as he realized that Seifer needed a temporary respite as well.

Ascending the stairs, Squall was greeted by complete darkness. Fumbling blindly for the light switch, Squall considered his options briefly. He could still escape, pride intact. But he'd have to go back to an existence void of thrills, an existence that would no doubt end up destroying him.

Squinting his eyes as the light came on, he regarded the room. It was as big as the room downstairs. Wooden furniture took up little space in the big room. The bed stood out, taking up much more space than any of the other furniture. Spotting a familiar case lying on drawers nearby, Squall removed his gloves as he inched closer. Putting down the gloves next to the case, he gingerly unfastened the latches. With reverence he eyed the blade in front of him, not touching it as per etiquette. He'd kill anyone who'd dare touch Lion Heart and wouldn't fault Seifer for doing the same.

Not hearing the other man joining him, Squall was startled when a deep voice sounded behind him.

"Take off your jacket," Seifer said.

Squall turned around instinctively and the case in front of him snapped shut loudly. Seifer's features were no longer filled with mirth, instead an air of calm premeditation emanated from him. Feeling uncertain, Squall just stood there as he tried to understand Seifer's intentions. Not reaching any conclusions, Squall finally relented and removed his jacket and tossed it onto the bed.

"Your shirt," Seifer added, looking pointedly at the dark fabric before returning his hot gaze to Squall's face.

Slightly more hesitant, Squall grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. For a moment Seifer just stared at the man in front of him, briefly questioning his own actions. Noticing the pale skin the brunet had kept hidden under his shirt, Seifer couldn't help but grin inwardly. That was more like the Squall he knew.

"Turn around," Seifer ordered.

Something odd stirred in Seifer as he studied the younger man. Protruding shoulder blades stood out against lean muscle showing the well-trained body of a warrior. Dark hair contrasted with the pale skin, skin that was webbed with countless white lines. Pink lines were scattered across the lithe body as well. _Why is he covered in scars?_

A bright glimmer caught Seifer's eye and he immediately recognized the jewelry for the opportunity it presented. He had never seen Squall without the necklace on and suspected it never left the brunet's sight.

"Hand me your necklace," Seifer demanded, holding out his hand.

Turning back around, gray-blue eyes shot straight to Seifer's, accusation and anger clear in their depths. Lifting the necklace over his head hesitantly, Squall planted the cold silver squarely in Seifer's palm. The force behind the movement clearly conveyed Squall's defiance.

"Look away, puberty boy" Seifer grunted. "You're not allowed to look at me. Understood?"

A slow nod indicated the brunet's assent, and with a clenched jaw he moved his head to gaze off to the side.

"Trousers," the blond sneered and green eyes narrowed in hostility as the brunet's head moved slightly his way before Squall managed to quell the urge to face the blond in rebellion.

Squall felt more and more ill at ease as his long fingers worked his belts. He hadn't known what to expect, but this hadn't been it.

Loud clangs resounded as heavy belts landed on the floor. Unbuttoning his trousers, Squall started tugging them downwards only to realize he was still wearing his combats. Moving to sit on Seifer's bed he undid the boots and finally managed to remove his trousers. Down to only his boxers he couldn't suppress the deep frown growing on his brow.

"Follow me," Seifer said, before he turned to leave the room, looking back over his shoulders to make sure the brunet was obeying.

Entering the kitchen, Squall wondered what Seifer had in mind, but didn't have to ponder long as Seifer reached for a tall glass and grabbed an unopened bottle of rum. Filling the glass to the brim Seifer handed it over with the words 'drink up'.

Eyeing the golden liquid with contempt Squall put the cold glass to his lips. Lukewarm liquid slid past his lips and down his throat. Unused to large amounts of alcohol, Squall had to stop several times before he managed to empty the tall glass. Finished, he set the glass on the counter and closed his eyes at the intense burning sensation the alcohol left behind. For a while he just stood there, awaiting his next order. When none came he searched the room for Seifer's form and spotted the blond splayed out on the couch.

"What now?" Squall asked.

"We wait," the blond replied getting up to place more logs at the fireplace.

Already adjusted to the lack of clothing, Squall was actually starting to feel warm. Moving over to sit in the chair he had occupied earlier he even felt somewhat relaxed. Seifer seemed relaxed as well, resting a lazy arm over his head, comfortably stretched out on the couch. Lulled into a sense of false security, the brunet started dozing, eyes enjoying the playful dance of the flames. As the alcohol set in, Squall drifted off to sleep.

For a while Seifer left the brunet alone, leaving the alcohol to work it's magic. When he thought enough time had passed, the blond grabbed the brunet's arms tightly and started shaking the smaller man roughly.

Squall's gray-blue eyes opened slowly in confusion, meeting Seifer's green ones for a split second before Squall felt the harsh sting of a slap against his cheek.

"What did I tell you earlier?" Seifer demanded harshly and Squall looked away sloppily as his entire upper body swayed in response to the slap, motor functions heavily affected by alcohol. Colors swirled before his eyes as he tried to focus on something, anything. Incapable of such a simple task Squall simply slumped back into the soft chair and felt it mold around him.

"Shit, you're a lightweight Leonheart. Pull yourself together," Seifer said, trying to steady the brunet in the chair. "Fuck."

He hadn't meant to get Squall that drunk, only to take the edge off and make Squall more submissive and less defiant.

When close to drifting off again, Squall's head was pulled back roughly and a glass was pressed against his lips. Breathing through his nose as cold water was forcefully poured down his throat, Squall gulped down the icy liquid. The glass was then removed and Squall once more slumped back into the chair and blissful oblivion.

For a long while Seifer just sat there and watched the brunet as he slept. Cursing his own stupidity, Seifer knew he had to wait a while before the brunet would be capable of anything. At least he could use the time to plan how he was going to degrade the younger man. When a couple of hours had passed, with Seifer getting more and more impatient by the minute, Seifer decided he'd had enough.

"Wake up, Squally-boy," Seifer jeered, shaking the smaller man a bit more gently this time.

"I'm tired," Squall muttered, eyes closed.

"Remember our deal, Squally-boy. Or I'll let you sleep it off outside in the cold."

Gray-blue eyes opened slowly, but after landing on Seifer's stomach they were quickly averted, signaling Squall having regained some semblance of cognitive ability.

"Good," Seifer commented, releasing his hands from Squall's arms. "Get up and take off your boxers."

Rising on unsteady feet, the brunet did as he was told. Jumbled sensory input was working hard on distracting him and he felt oddly proud as he managed to stay upright.

"Put this on," the blond said, grabbing Squall's hand and placing something cold and heavy in it.

Moving his swaying head to focus on the object in his hand, Squall frowned at the sight. It took all his strength not to turn his head and look straight into Seifer's eyes in defiance. This was Seifer's way of branding him. In a slow move Squall unclasped the choker and moved the cold silver to his neck. Not only had he been forced to take off his Griever necklace for the first time since he'd had it made, but now on top of that he was forced to wear the necklace of his rival, a display of utter submission. Something twisted in his stomach as he fastened the choker and mixed feelings fought in his mind. He felt both disgusted with the blond and at the same time he found perverse pleasure in being branded by his lifelong rival, just like he'd always felt strangely proud of the scar lining his face. Never in his life had he imagined himself following orders like this. No one else had ever held this power over him. This was the only man, person, who could ever make him submit like this. All because of Squall's pure need for something only Seifer possessed; the ability to fight Squall as an equal. Fingers lingering at the choker, Squall briefly wondered where this was leading.

"The boxers," Seifer spat, voice hot and demanding. He wanted the other man to taste some of the humiliation he himself had experienced during the war. He wanted to bring the younger fighter to tears and then mock him for breaking, just like Seifer had mocked himself for his own failings.

Hooking his cold fingers under the waistband of his boxers Squall proceeded to tug them downwards, exposing himself. Stepping out of them on wobbly feet he held his breath and felt oddly excited at standing naked before his rival, completely at the larger man's mercy. The alcohol had set all his nerves on fire, whilst dulling his judgment and clarity of thought. Jumbled images of what Seifer could do to him in this state sparked shivers to run along his spine.

"Wonder what Rinoa is going to say to this," Seifer commented dryly.

Squall scrunched his brows in confusion at the sudden mention of Rinoa's name until he managed to make sense of the accompanying words. Not wanting to give the blond further ammunition by correcting the blond's erroneous assumption, Squall kept quiet.

"What a pitiful sight," Seifer said maliciously. "No real muscle. Feminine. Pale. Scrawny. Covered in scars. It's a wonder how anyone could look at you and not feel disgust. I pity Rinoa."

Closing his eyes in an effort to keep out the abusive words, Squall couldn't help the dawning despair from clawing at him. He knew it was all part of the game, Seifer's way of humiliating him, and that if he broke it would only serve to satisfy the blond. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but wonder if that was how people saw him. If that was why he'd never been more intimate with anyone than the almost platonic kiss he'd shared with Rinoa. It didn't matter anyway. He didn't need anyone.

Focusing on that thought, Squall managed to quell the spiraling emotions of unworthiness, embarrassment and hurt.

"On your knees," the blond ordered, abruptly pulling Squall form his thoughts, giving Squall a soft push that sent the brunet toppling over.

Bony knees on hard wood, Squall felt uncomfortable but it was nothing compared to the cold shiver that ran down his spine as he heard the next command.

"Head on the floor, ass in the air."

Moving into position, Squall took a deep breath in anticipation. Resting his forehead on the floor, he felt a boot nudging in between his knees.

"Spread 'em," Seifer ordered, his eyes widening at the sight before him. He couldn't believe how willingly the brunet followed his every word. It was their agreement all right, but still to have the lion of Balamb Garden, his ever proud and stoic rival posed like this in front of him sent his mind spinning and he found it increasingly difficult to stay intimidating. It was just too odd.

Despite having felt warm and relaxed earlier with not much more clothes on than he had now, Squall felt cold to the point of shivering. He had never been this exposed and could hardly breathe as a warm hand touched his left buttock and slowly pulled it to one side, spreading his cheeks apart. A burning fire tickled Squall's starved nerves and he had to strangle a moan of pleasure before it escaped his lips. Biting down hard on his lower lip, Squall tried to stay still and quiet. No one had ever touched him this intimately and much to Squall's horror it made his body want to rebel and feel even more. If Seifer had torture in mind as well as humiliation, then the blond was definitely on the path to success.

Fishing his mobile out of his pocket, Seifer ran a thumb along Squall's crack intending to set the brunet on edge. As expected the brunet tensed beneath him in response and Squall's eyes rolled back in pleasure, unseen by the blond.

"Something to remember this by," Seifer said as he removed his hand from Squall and stood to take a picture of the pitiful sight in front of him.

At the sound of a picture being taken Squall closed his eyes and burrowed them in his arms, wanting to escape. But when a zipper was heard seconds later, gray-blues shot back open. Every single muscle in Squall's body tensed as he envisioned the very likely implication of that sound. He was surprised that Seifer would bring himself to actually fuck Squall, considering the blond's earlier words, not to mention the fact that Squall could have sworn Seifer was straight. Figuring it wasn't about Seifer's pleasure as much as Squall's utter humiliation, Squall felt sick to his stomach. The feeling didn't last long, however, as Squall's body once again betrayed him and instead focused on the intense sensation of a warm hand kneading his buttocks and stroking teasingly at his perineum. He could almost image what it would feel like to have Seifer's cock press against him, and it made him lose his breath, his whole body on edge.

Kneeling down behind Squall, Seifer freed his flaccid member and started stroking himself. The situation did nothing for him sexually but he wanted to give Squall the impression that he was about to fuck him.

Even as he knew it was wrong, Squall couldn't stop the intense pleasure coursing through his body, spreading from Seifer's hand. He had to fight hard not to lean back into the touch, his whole body inflamed with need. The lingering touch was driving him mad, adrenaline and pleasure proving an intoxicating cocktail.

For ages nothing happened and Squall felt anticipation eating away at him. He wanted more. He wanted Seifer to take sexual pleasure from him and make him experience things he'd never even imagined. And at the same time he was disgusted with himself for wanting such things.

Behind Squall, Seifer was wanking off, eyes closed, oblivious to the brunet's growing arousal. He was keeping up his fondling of Squall to keep the man on edge, but didn't intend to go any further. All he wanted to do was to rattle Squall and then move on to other ways of humiliating the brunet.

Brought to the brink Seifer moaned deeply and steadied himself with one hand on Squall as he came on the lithe fighter's back.

At the feel of hot liquid on his back, gray-blues shot open and Squall couldn't help but let out a gasp of unexpected pleasure as he felt his own cock twitch.

Realizing that Seifer hadn't wanted sex but had brought himself to orgasm by watching Squall made all Squall's blood rush south and his cock go hard.

Getting up, Seifer walked to the kitchen to get some tissues to wipe off the mess with. Returning, he took in the sight before him with disgust. Squall had fallen far to accept something like this.

Once Seifer had wiped his come off the brunet's back roughly, he got up and ordered the younger man to follow suit.

Timid, Squall turned and got up on his feet, this easily being the most humiliating moment in his life. His rival had just degraded him and his body had responded by being incredibly turned on, his painful hard on undeniable proof. At least he didn't have to look at Seifer.

Certain that his heart had stopped beating, Seifer just stood there, eyes wide and stock-still. _Hyne, Squall is hard. Squall is turned on. Fuck. He's hard. Squall. Shit._

Embarrassed further by the stretching silence, Squall clenched his fists, unable to do anything else.

_Hard Squall. Shit. Hyne._

Seifer's brain still wasn't functioning properly, the sight in front of him shocking him beyond what he'd ever thought possible._ Must think. Look away. Look away. Not cool man, not cool_. But however much he wanted to he couldn't avert his eyes, finding them glued to the sight of an aroused Squall.

"Fuck, you really are one fucked up piece of work aren't you?" Seifer finally managed, derision coming natural. Squall shut his eyes in humiliation.

Plans completely thwarted by the change of events Seifer started contemplating other possible avenues. How could he make this work to his benefit?

"Sit on the couch," Seifer finally commanded and the brunet obeyed, moving to sit down. Squall was relived to once again be sitting and not having to work hard on keeping himself standing straight.

"Does Rinoa like it kinky, puberty boy?" Seifer asked playfully, sitting down on the couch as well.

"Keep Rinoa out of it," Squall replied, thankfully feeling his arousal starting to die down due to the lack of stimulus.

"Nu-uh Squally-boy. I don't think so. My rules, my night," Seifer said. "Touch yourself."

Squeezing his eyes shut in shame Squall moved his right hand to firmly grip his cock. Slowly he began pumping himself.

"So... does she like it kinky?" Seifer asked again.

"I wouldn't know," Squall answered, hating every word. His private life was no one else's business.

"Huh?" Seifer asked, dumbfounded. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"We were never together," Squall replied, anger slipping into his voice. "I broke it off with her right after the war."

"Why?" Seifer asked, keeping his eyes on the brunet's pumping hand, finding the show oddly captivating. He could even feel a slight stir in his own groin.

"Too different," Squall answered truthfully.

"Hn," was Seifer's brief reply, his attention redirected to the display in front of him, little twitches of pleasures on Squall's face proving strangely arousing.

But then something else entirely occurred to him, a though that caused him to start laughing in dawning realization. "You're a fucking fag..." Seifer stated, eyes traveling up and down Squall's body.

Squall winced at the statement and slowed down his pumping.

"You're a fucking pillow biter. That's why you got all hot at the thought of me fucking you."

"No," Squall said bitterly.

"Who got to break in your scrawny ass?" Seifer asked, amused.

"No one. I'm **not gay**," Squall reiterated.

"Hn. If you say so," Seifer relented, eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Heh. I guess any man or woman who'd go out with you would have to seriously consider their sexual orientation," he continued.

"I didn't say you could stop stroking yourself," he admonished, as he kept pondering what Squall wasn't telling him. "Do it faster. And don't hold back your moans."

When the first audible moan left Squall, Seifer felt himself go hard.

"How many have you been with?" Seifer asked, intrigued. Squall stopped mid stroke.

"Keep going," Seifer demanded again, irritation creeping into his voice.

"No one," Squall said and felt utterly devastated, having to declare something so intimate to his rival. If not for the continued stimulus he would definitely be soft right now.

Seifer started chuckling, eyes dancing in amusement. "Squally a virgin, ey? Guess I was right. No one wants the prissy little ice princess."

Squall couldn't suppress the hurt that ran through his body as the cold words hit too close to home. Narrowing his eyes in thought, Seifer became serious.

"Well, guess what puberty boy. You're going to close your eyes. Then you're going to pump yourself harder. Then you're going to come moaning my name," Seifer said, his voice hard as he got up from the couch to stand in front of Squall.

Squall's face scrunched up briefly as he considered Seifer's order but then he closed his eyes and leaned his head back to rest on the couch. Feeling Seifer's presence looming over him he had a hard time letting himself go, but with his eyes closed he managed to block out the strange situation and instead focus on the arousing friction of his calloused hand moving against his cock.

Finding the view before him oddly arousing, Seifer started pumping himself at the sight, licking his lips hungrily every time Squall would let out a low moan. Utterly dominating Squall in this way and seeing Squall's arousal was turning out to be the strongest aphrodisiac Seifer had ever encountered. Being the first to experience the stoic brunet letting himself go like this made Seifer feel like he was going to blow his load any second.

Sensing the younger mans approaching climax Seifer felt himself go impossibly hard and pumped his cock faster still whilst holding back his moans. As Squall's face tensed in pleasure and pale lips whispered the blond's name, Seifer's own orgasm hit him full force and his come shot forward, landing in hot white streaks on the brunet's face.

Going completely still before slowly opening his eyes to look at Seifer, Squall was stunned speechless. As gray-blue eyes met green, Seifer didn't complain. Never before had he seen anything as sexy as his rival's face streaked with his come, looking up at him through heavy lidded eyes. Glancing down the brunet's body he spotted more come on Squall's stomach, evidence of the younger man's own climax.

Seifer turned away as the strangest urge overcame him, an urge that made him feel sick to his stomach.

In that moment he wanted to kiss Squall, to claim those pale lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Disgusted with himself, Seifer headed for the previously discarded bottle of rum. _What the fuck? _He had just jerked off to a masturbating Squall, and had come hard. This was not on his list of proud moments. Even worse was the urge he'd had to kiss the brunet. Gulping down the sweet alcohol the blond tried to rationalize the events.

It had been a while since he'd had sex. Been a while since he'd had any kind of physical contact. Clenching his jaw he cursed his hormones. Now was not the time for them to play him.

On the couch Squall sat in a daze not quite sure what the hell had just happened. On auto pilot he cleaned his face, whilst trying his best not to think about what it was he was removing. The situation had turned far too absurd for him to keep up with. It didn't help that his mind was still too debilitated from alcohol to properly analyze the events that had occurred. All he knew was that when he'd locked eyes with the blond after coming, the intense look in the ex-knight's eyes had set him on edge.

"Shit," Seifer cursed close by and Squall turned involuntarily to place the man. Standing next to the fireplace, Seifer was deep in thought, not noticing the brunet's attention. "Fuck."

Raking fingers through his hair, Seifer felt indecision tear at him. He knew what he wanted but at the same time the thought disgusted him. Forcing himself to come to a decision quickly, Seifer spun around on his feet and saw the brunet quickly turn away his head.

"Upstairs," the blond spoke, letting his eyes travel the length of the naked brunet. Seifer was going to have Squall. Briefly considering whether he wanted the brunet to suck him dry or to fuck Squall senseless, Seifer quickly came to the conclusion that breaking in the ice prince would be oh so much more satisfying. Of course both scenarios were possible, but having already come twice that evening, Seifer didn't want to push his luck. Getting hard once more could prove enough of a challenge and he definitely didn't want to be the one losing face.

Completely baffled by the change that had happened and how his body seemingly burned to bury itself inside the pale fighter, Seifer felt torn. Two entirely different directions of thought fought for dominance but Seifer knew he had to start sticking to the decision he'd already made. Pushing aside his mortification at wanting his rival so badly, the blond grinned lecherously. Impatient, he stalked after the brunet who had already made it upstairs.

"Get your scrawny ass onto the bed," Seifer ordered, fingers now twitching to play with the brunet. Eyeing up the younger man, the pale body that had before seemed interesting yet unattractive now made Seifer feel hot all over.

Stumbling slightly as he tried to focus on both the order and his actions, Squall flopped onto the bed. The cool comforter beneath him felt soft as he moved to sit up straight. When he'd almost found a comfortable position a strong hand pushed against his chest, forcing him down onto the bed.

Straddling Squall, the blond was annoyed with the oppressive clothing he was still wearing. He wanted to feel skin against skin, let rough abrasive movements convey his lust. Grabbing one of the belts that had been discarded earlier, Seifer seized Squall's arms and bound the brunet's wrists tightly together above Squall's head before getting up to remove his restrictive clothing.

Testing his new confines, Squall felt leather dig into his skin, limiting his movements. He resented the bondage, the lack of control over his own body infuriating him. If not for the blond's earlier order, Squall would have been glaring icily at the other man. Buckling to show his contempt, Squall felt his anger rise even further when the blond merely chuckled in response.

"Stay still," the harsh voice of the blond ordered, gripping the brunet's thighs roughly. "Wouldn't want to disrespect our deal now, would you?"

In reply the brunet gritted his teeth, his whole body going rigid.

"Spread your legs," the blond demanded, pushing the brunet's legs apart.

Letting his knees fall against the soft cover of the bed, Squall felt a cool breeze against his groin. Never had he been this exposed. The thought of Seifer studying him, invading his most intimate spaces made Squall shudder. When rough hands ran against the inside of his thighs, the brunet's breath hitched and gray-blue eyes shut closed. The fingers became more daring, hot digits starting slow, teasing paths along the pale skin at the junction between the brunet's thighs and pelvis. Squall couldn't help but shiver, his skin already overly sensitized. A single finger trailed to stroke between his cheeks, sending pleasurable tingles along Squall's spine. It felt too fucking good. Whatever it was the blond was doing, he was doing it skillfully, teasing Squall's body like he'd been doing it for years.

Seifer was already rock hard. It surprised him how quickly his cock had come back to life. To Seifer's satisfaction, Squall hadn't been able to hold back his responses to Seifer's ministrations very well, however hard the brunet tried. Every one of Squall's little movements of pleasure set the blond's body on fire, making him want to tease the younger man's body into further abandon. Licking his finger, the blond trailed the wet digit along Squall's ass. When the usually stoic fighter turned his head to the side in an effort to shut out the pleasure, Seifer smiled in amusement. Slowly pressing his finger inside, Seifer watched as Squall jerked back in reflex. Grabbing a bony hip firmly, Seifer forced the brunet back in place.

Unable to help himself, Squall opened his eyes in curiosity and took in the sight of Seifer's finger sliding inside him. Quickly, the brunet glanced at the blond to see green eyes trained on Squall's entrance, hunger and lust clear on the blond's features. At the raw emotion so vividly displayed on his rival's face, something twisted inside Squall. The blond was clearly enjoying himself. Confused, Squall laid his head back against the bed, shutting his eyes and holding his breath. It was all too much.

The blond didn't spot Squall's furtive glance, too absorbed in what he was doing. He did, however, spot Squall becoming hard. A smug grin made it's way onto the blond's face as he looked at the aroused brunet spread out before him. _Fucking Hyne, he's hot like this. _

Maybe it was because he had never imagined the brunet like this. Or maybe it was because the amount of emotion usually displayed by the brunet was typically limited to absolutely none or if one was lucky, maybe a bit of resentment or annoyance. Whatever the reason was, it was becoming addicting fast.

"Hyne, you're tight," Seifer mused as he felt hot pressure surrounding his finger.

Turning his head to the side, Squall kept quiet. Focusing too hard on the sensation of the finger pushing in and out of him was not an option, because whenever he did he would feel an aching need to push the finger in further; to feel more.

When the finger was removed, Squall relaxed his tense body for a moment and sunk into the warm bed. With closed eyes he followed the blond's movements through sound. Footsteps on the floor was replaced by a drawer being opened. The sound of a cap being unscrewed then reached the brunet's ears before finally, he felt the bed sag as the other man sat back down between his legs.

Something wet pressed against his opening, coating his entrance in a slick substance before entering him, stretching him. _Fingers_. Turned on by the mixed feeling of pain and pleasure, the brunet could no longer hold back his moans. When the blond pushed in even further, bright sparks lit up Squall's vision, an intense surge of pleasure shooting through him. _What the ...? _Eyes closed, he tried to push away the overpowering sensation, fighting his body's need to cause the same reaction once more.

Having witnessed the brunet's reaction, Seifer repeated the move, causing the brunet to jerk beneath him. _This is too fucking good to be true._

Logical thought temporarily escaping the brunet, he no longer considered what was happening or why it was happening. He could only feel. Focusing on the intense stimulus of his pleasure starved body, he was getting more and more lost in his body's need. His hips started rocking against Seifer's fingers on their own volition, feeding on the pleasure the fingers were providing.

Immediately stilling at the sound of a deep rumbling laughter, Squall was torn away from his state of mindless pleasure. Mortified beyond belief at what he'd just been reduced to, he clenched his jaw. But when the fingers kept ramming against that forsaken spot, Squall's pleasure addled brain soon lost its resolve.

For a moment Seifer closed his eyes and focused all his thoughts on savoring everything he was experiencing; the incredible hotness of the brunet beneath him, the power of his own arousal and the lust that was inflaming his whole body. Pulling out his fingers from the brunet the blond opened his eyes and let them travel hungrily up the pale body. It was a breath taking sight. All lean muscles and sharp curves, yet slightly effeminate in its delicateness. Bending down the blond started a wet trail at a protruding hipbone and greedily licked his way upwards, savoring the sound of air being sucked in forcefully by the brunet. Stopping at a nipple, the blond bit down gently, eliciting a sharp moan, the usually stoic features of the brunet transformed into a frown of pleasure. Continuing his wet trail along the brunet's slender neck, Seifer ended his journey by nibbling on an earlobe.

"I'm going to fuck you so hard that you can't stand... that you can't walk," the blond whispered hotly into the brunet's ear. "And then I'm going to fuck you again."

Leaning down on top of the brunet, Seifer let his body press heavily into the man beneath him and slid his hard cock against the soft skin of the younger man. Grinding his hips against the brunet, Seifer took extreme pleasure in the quivers that seemed to take over the smaller man.

Pushing himself up slightly to get a better look at the man beneath him, Seifer felt transfixed by the sight of pale lips moving to let out moans of pleasure. He needed to claim those lips, but he would not let himself kiss the brunet. Kissing went deeper than lust and this was a need Seifer was not ready to face. Figuring out a different way to sate his lust for those lush lips, he got up abruptly to stand next to the bed.

"Tilt your head to your left and keep your eyes closed," Seifer ordered, his voice coming from above. Obeying, Squall scrunched his eyes in surprise when something warm and smooth was placed against his lips and a strong smell he couldn't pinpoint hit him.

"Lick it."

Turning his body onto its side, Squall parted his lips and slid out his tongue to investigate the smooth surface. Quickly realizing what it was Seifer had asked him to do, Squall felt disgusted. Focusing on blanking out all sensory input, Squall made himself slide out his tongue to lap at the blond's cock.

Reduced to grunting at the wanton sight of the brunet's tongue playing with him, Seifer had to close his eyes. "Wrap your lips around it."

Once again submitting to the blond, Squall opened his mouth to wrap his lips around the engorged head and sealed them around the hot shaft. This was beyond humiliating.

Unable to help himself, Seifer pushed further into Squall's mouth, the brunet's features drawn tight in revulsion. Pushing in and out, lust made Seifer lose all rational thought, the sight of himself fucking Squall's mouth nearly ending it all right then and there.

Knowing he wouldn't last much longer, Seifer let himself slip out of the slick heat and ordered the brunet to move onto his front. When the brunet obeyed, Seifer grabbed the younger man's hips roughly and placed Squall ass right in front of his cock, ready for the taking. Watching the naked man in front of him, Seifer let his cock slide against Squall's crack, teasing him by letting his head push against the brunet's ass playfully.

"Any last words?" Seifer asked coarsely. Squall didn't reply, unable to form any coherent words. The pleasure he had felt earlier had been completely replaced by revulsion.

Chuckling, Seifer grabbed the brunet's ass checks and placed himself against the brunet's entrance, pushing harder than before, his head almost sliding inside. Wincing in pain at the incredible tightness of the man in front of him, Seifer leaned back on his heels before coating himself with the same slick substance he had used earlier.

Holding his breath as Seifer's head pressed inside him, Squall felt searing pain shoot up his spine from the intrusion and arched his head backwards. Sucking in stale air, he let pain and adrenaline flow through him, the mixture making him feel more alive than he had in a long time. When Seifer moved in further, Squall felt like he was being split apart. Biting his lip to keep from crying out at the overwhelming pain, the brunet instead focused on controlling the pain, twisting his perception to view the pain as nothing more that a scar earned in the heat of battle. A heady sensation took over the brunet as he managed to channel the pain expertly. There was no pain he couldn't handle; nothing was too much. Wanting to prove it, Squall thrust back against Seifer forcefully, impaling himself. Jaws locked and lips sealed tight, the brunet almost choked on the mind shattering pain, feeling impossibly high as his mind split into a million pieces.

Pushing himself forward again, the brunet paused for a fraction of a second before once again impaling himself on Seifer's rigid cock. This time he was unable to keep his mouth locked, a loud moan leaving him as unexpected ecstasy struck his core.

Surprised and shocked, Seifer remained still whilst Squall moved back and forth, the repeated action eliciting sharp moans from the brunet each time he impaled himself. When Seifer's cock was forced deep inside, Squall's face would contort into a mixture of surprise and pleasure before changing into a display of confusion. Such the cycle continued.

Groaning deeply at the impossibly tight heat surrounding him, Seifer shut his eyes to protect himself from sensory overload. It wouldn't do good to come too early. Determined to take back control, the blond roughly grabbed pale hips, forcing the younger man to stay still. The blond then started pounding mercilessly into the fighter in front of him, setting a fast pace. As Seifer repeatedly thrust into smaller man, uninhibited loud moans left the brunet, bearing witness to the mind numbing pleasure wracking Squall's body.

Squall couldn't stop himself. For each of Seifer's thrusts he would mewl or moan. For once, he was thinking about right now, about this second, riding high on intuition, adrenaline and lust. Sex was nothing like he had expected. This resembled fighting; raw and unbridled emotion all he could feel.

Enjoying the abandon he had caused in his rival, Seifer wanted to watch the other man come whilst fucking him. Stilling his movements, the blond leaned forward and undid the belt restricting the brunet's hands.

"Touch yourself," he ordered out of breath. "Make yourself come."

Leaning his torso against the bed to keep his balance, Squall brought his right hand to his erection. When Seifer pushed into him once again, the combined pleasure made Squall writhe, the pleasure too much. He could already feel sticky precome coating his fingers.

"Say my name," Seifer grunted out between hurried breaths, leaning forward to feel more of Squall against him whilst increasing the pace.

Squall moaned, pleasure and pain sending his brain into overdrive. Focusing all thought on the task that had been asked of him, the brunet managed to grunt out the other man's name, as the friction of his own pumping hand and Seifer's cock ramming into him became too much.

"Fuck," Seifer responded, clenching his teeth as he felt his impending climax grow nearer. Determined to make the brunet come first, he sped up his thrusts. His wish was granted as a long moan escaped pale lips, the brunet's entire body tensing up. The increased tightness around his own cock sent Seifer cursing as he emptied himself into the smaller man. Biting down on Squall's shoulder for relief, Seifer rode wave after wave of his climax, unable to think of anything but how fucking amazing it felt.

Spent, the blond collapsed on top of the brunet, breathing heavily. Though dazed and exhausted he managed to focus enough to whisper the words of one of his spells, sending the brunet off to sleep. Seifer had gotten what he wanted and had no inclination to deal with the aftermath. And he certainly didn't have the energy for more.

Sliding out of the tight heat, Seifer took in the sight of mixed semen and blood dripping out the brunet and couldn't stop the surge of desire coursing through him. This was not supposed to be happening. Stumbling away from the bed, Seifer headed downstairs, images of what had just taken place replaying in his mind.

Grabbing the almost empty bottle of rum he flopped onto the couch, finishing the remains. Covering himself with a soft blanket the blond let exhaustion take over and drifted into vivid dreams of pounding into a willing brunet.

* * *

Hazy gray-blue eyes opened slowly, confusion clear in their depths. Cold lingered against the naked man as he tried to remember where he was. Shivering, he tried to move but found his body stiff and sore, a sharp pain shooting up his spine. Moving his hand to locate the source of the pain, he felt dry crust against his fingers and all blood drained from his face as the previous night came back to him. _Seifer_. His throat felt like sandpaper, raw skin painful when he tried to swallow.

Getting to his feet, Squall stood completely still next to the rumpled bed. Bringing a hand to his throbbing head he tried to make the room stop spinning. Wild eyes darted around the room as his stomach lurched. Spotting a door at the far end of the room, the brunet staggered towards it, the sharp pain between his legs slowing him down.

Relived it was a bathroom, Squall dropped to his knees in front of the toilet and emptied his stomach. Done retching, he got up from the floor to stand on unsteady feet, leaning over the sink to rinse his mouth. Catching sight of himself in the mirror he stood as if transfixed. Facing himself after the humiliation he'd suffered the night before was hard. He would never have believed himself to be so subservient. Or that he would let someone do to him what Seifer had. He knew why he had done it though and there was no doubt in his mind that he'd make the same choice if he could go back and do it all over. It didn't really matter much. What was done was done. Now he'd get to reap the rewards. The only regret he had was the intensity of emotion he felt when he thought back to what had taken place.

In the mirror Squall watched pale lips moving, speaking the words of esuna and felt his head clear immediately. With it, he pushed the troubling thoughts away, promising himself he would not let them distract him. As he was about to turn away, eyes fell to the silver still marking him as Seifer's. Letting a finger slide against the cold material, he couldn't suppress the excitement that suddenly coursed through him. Cheeks heating as images from the previous night once more assaulted him, the brunet felt ashamed at his excitement. Turning on the shower, Squall let cool water soothe his damaged body and focused on once again emptying his mind.

Clean and dry, the brunet walked back into the bedroom, spotting his clothes on the floor. Deciding to go commando rather than head downstairs and face the blond naked, Squall dressed quickly. Remembering the choker still adorning his neck, the brunet removed the cold piece of jewelry and placed it on the gunblade case, his touch lingering.

Avoiding looking too closely at the scene of the crime, the brunet sighed and headed down the stairs. Spotting the blond on the couch, face slack and mouth open, obviously lost to the land of sleep, Squall felt strangely invigorated. It was time to claim what he'd come for. He'd finally get to fight his ex-rival. Grabbing Lion Heart where he'd left the blade the night previous, Squall walked over to the slumbering blond, tapping the blond's arm with the flat of his gunblade.

Green eyes blinking in confusing, a frown appeared as they managed to focus on the object of offense. Pulling the pillow from under his head, Seifer threw it at the annoying brunet.

"Fuck off," the blond mumbled, turning on the couch and drawing the blanket up to cover his head.

Sighing heavily, the brunet considered his options. Deciding to let the blond rest for now he headed for the kitchen. Helping himself to a glass of cold water the brunet leaned against the counter, lost in thought. Cursing at himself for wondering what Seifer thought of last night and why Seifer had done what he had, Squall became more and more agitated. Yelling at himself inwardly to shut up, he fought hard to regain his composure and block out the intruding thoughts. _I don't care._

The brunet was drawn back into the present at the sound of groaning emanating from the couch. Walking back to inspect the odd happening, Squall hissed as painful throbs ran along his spine with every step he took, a painful reminder of the night previous. Reaching the couch Squall took in the sight of his ex-rival's head resting on the armrest, twisted in obvious pain, a hand grabbing at blond strands of hair.

Annoyed that the blond wasn't thinking straight enough to just remove his hangover, Squall rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Fine," he said and began chanting esuna once more.

"Stop," Seifer interrupted, sitting up angrily before letting out another groan, obviously regretting the quick move.

Impatient and incensed the brunet sent a murderous glare at the man on the couch.

"You promised," the brunet said accusingly, resenting the whine that crept into his voice.

"Later," came the mumbled reply, before Seifer closed his eyes and brought his arm up to rest against his forehead, effectively shutting the brunet out.

Angered even further, the brunet resorted to the only thing that came to mind and grabbed at the blanket that was covering the infuriating ex-knight.

Green eyes shot open to face gray-blue ones, then narrowed in irritation at the younger man's audacity. Grabbing determinedly at the blanket, Seifer managed to keep the blanket in place.

"Don't you fucking dare," the blond snarled.

Quickly looking the brunet over, Seifer returned his eyes to stare straight into gray-blues. "My hangover is mine to deal with. Just like I don't give a fuck about that limp of yours." With that the blond made himself comfortable on the couch once more, ignoring the temporarily stunned brunet.

Trying to fall back asleep, the blond cursed the presence of the annoying brunet. It had been a while since he'd decided that whenever he'd succumb to a night of drinking he'd live through the following hangover. And Seifer was not a man to fall back on his word. It made him keep his nights of drinking to a minimum, something that would surely otherwise overtake him. He wasn't about to change his rules just because of an impatient Squall.

Sensing the restless brunet nearby, Seifer turned to look at him in exasperation, deciding gaining the brunet's consent would make his life easier.

"Tomorrow, okay," Seifer said, knowing he wouldn't be fit for a proper fight with the SeeD commander before some time of recuperation. "That way we both get what we want. You get a proper fight, and I get to be alone for a while."

Cold gray-blue eyes locked onto Seifer's, conveying the contempt Squall felt at the deal being altered.

"For Hyne's sake, just stop sulking already. You're worse than a PMSing Rinoa," the blond sighed in frustration. Deciding that getting away from the source of his bad mood was probably the best cause of action, Seifer stood from the couch temporarily forgetting his nudity. Catching the reflexive movement of gray-blue eyes to his cock, Seifer was surprised when the brunet looked away quickly, cheeks slightly flushed. Groaning inwardly as his own thoughts filled with images of the night previous, he fled the scene, heading for the bathroom.

Uncertain of what to do with himself, Squall sat down in the armchair by the fireplace. He had seen Seifer naked many times, but after last night he suspected he'd never be able to look at the man in the same way ever again. His view of the naked blond would be forever tainted with the strange mixture of equal amounts of desire and disgust. Desire for the other man to dominate him and fuck him. Disgust for wanting such things and for willingly submitting to the blond's whims. The night had unexpectedly brought him just as much thrill, if not more than any fight he'd been in. Eyes landing on the discarded black cloth of his boxers he felt a slight twinge in his chest. This was where it had all started.

Getting up from the couch, Squall took a deep breath, deciding what he needed was distraction. Drumming his fingers on Lion Heart he was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to best occupy himself. Administering a much needed check up on Lion Heart won out and Squall walked to the little room he had first entered last night, assuming the blond kept his tools there. Quickly finding what he needed, the brunet returned to the living room and sat down at a big wooden table. Big windows as tall as the wall let in ample daylight for him to work in. As he started disassembling the blade calmness washed over him.

"I'm heading out," a deep male voice informed from behind him, causing Squall to look back over his shoulder. The blond was dressed in thick layers of brown and black clothes that would be able to keep the blond warm for long hours out in the wild. A long rifle was placed in the blond's right hand and Hyperion was sheathed in its holster on Seifer's back.

As the blond started to move, the brunet spoke up. "Wait," he called. "Do you have any gunblade polish?"

At first the other man just looked at him, then green eyes started shining in growing amusement.

"It's in the bedroom," Seifer said, a big smirk in place. "You'll recognize the scent."

When all blood drained from Squall's face, the blond couldn't hold back his amusement any longer and let out a rumbling laughter.

Turning around to avoid further embarrassment, Squall felt his body tense up as he strained his ears to listen out for any movement behind him. When the sound of heavy boots got weaker and weaker, the brunet let out a deep breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding.

* * *

Following the trail he'd found over an hour ago, Seifer hoped he'd gotten closer to the beast. The brisk wind and the thrill of the hunt had invigorated Seifer, making the hangover much more survivable. Besides, he was running out of meat. That and a certain brunet having taken up residency in his cabin had sent him out on the prowl. He felt somewhat bad about how he'd treated Squall the night before. Despite what his behavior had indicated, he had found himself at ease with how his life had turned out. Instead of focusing on the injustice of the past, he'd focused on his present. A present where he was free in his own way. He got to hunt and live as he pleased. The brunet had just hit a nerve. He hadn't been prepared for the repressed anger to resurface at the sight of his ex-rival. The lust for revenge had been strong, but his plan to humiliate Squall to a degree of breaking the younger man had been thwarted the moment Seifer had seen what a little bit of dominance could do to the brunet. The night hadn't turned bad by any stretch of the imagination. Just weird. And slightly freaky. It hadn't been his first time with a man. What had freaked him out was how strong his lust for the younger man had been when all he had ever felt towards the brunet previously had been indifference or annoyance.

Since last night his resentment towards Squall had completely dissipated. In some fucked up way the evening had acted as a catharsis, cleansing Seifer of all the pent up anger and bitterness he had kept hidden away for so long. Obviously the other man was no better off than himself, whoring out his pride for a spar. Seifer snorted. _What a level to sink to_. _But thank Hyne. Best fuck ever._ Smirking at the thought the blond picked up the scent of the beast he'd been tracking. Focusing his thoughts on the present, he crept closer still, aiming his rifle in the direction where he calculated the beast to be.

Two shots rang out and a dull thud sounded in the quiet of the forest. Walking over to the fallen animal, the blond checked for a pulse, wanting to be sure the creature wouldn't start buckling when he'd haul it from the ground. Reckoning he was about one and a half hours away from home, he sat down briefly to build up his strength.

Thinking about the coming fight against the SeeD Commander, Seifer hoped against hope that he'd come out victorious. The little prick needed to be put in place. Even though the brunet seemed scrawny, Seifer knew the lean muscles held extraordinary strength and fresh scars told him that the lion had been busy. Of course there were always ways of distracting the brunet, last night's discoveries providing more than enough information. A little bit of domination thrown in would probably rattle the brunet enough to let his guard down long enough for Seifer to get in some good strikes. Battling with himself over whether or not to fight dirty, the blond felt restless. He wanted to prove that he could take down the lion without any cheap tricks, but on the other hand he'd never refrained from using them before. Guess he'd have to just play it by ear.

Getting a good grip on brown fur, Seifer hoisted the fallen forest torama onto his shoulders and started his long trek back.

* * *

Sitting on a rock by the side of the lake, Squall distractedly threw one pebble after another at the calm surface. Staring at the ripples that emerged from each throw, the brunet enjoyed the quiet of nature. The lake wasn't far from Seifer's cabin and judging by the nets already set up the blond probably used it as a source of food. After he'd finished his work on Lion Heart, Squall had spent a couple of hours scouting the nearby area, looking out for any good spots for sparing. Coming to the conclusion that the immediate area was too dense with trees he'd gone further still and discovered the lake. The trees had cleared a bit before the lake, providing enough space for a spar. With that in mind Squall had practiced his footing on the pebbled lakeside and was just now coming back down from the exercise high.

Always on the alert, strained ears caught the sound of snapping branches in the distance. Curious, Squall got to his feet and followed the sound. Getting closer he saw Seifer walking through the forest, a huge beast resting on his shoulders. Keeping his distance, Squall followed the blond back to the cabin and watched as the blond put the creature on the ground. As Seifer left to go inside, Squall walked over and eyed the fallen torama. Two shots were visible, one behind the shoulder, cutting straight through to the heart, the other at the joint between the neck and skull. Impressed by the incredible precision of the shots, Squall knelt down to touch the brown fur. Hearing footsteps approaching, Squall looked up just in time to spot a dagger being thrown at him, and caught it gracefully. Watching as Seifer went to work, the brunet's regard of the blond rose. Squall had never butchered game, and was strangely fascinated by the dexterous way in which the blond started cutting up the slain animal. Following Seifer's lead, the brunet quickly started putting the dagger to use, the two fighters working together in silence.

* * *

Standing by the counter, watching Seifer store away the meat, Squall felt oddly satisfied. Neither man had said anything after Seifer had returned with the slain beast, just worked flawlessly together on the gritty task of prying meat from bone.

Placing a bag of potatoes in front of the idle brunet wordlessly, Seifer conveyed his message clearly. Getting out a frying pan to prepare the meat, Seifer set to work himself. Cooking the food in silence, both of them forgot any ill feelings between them. Working together was second nature to them, no words needed for them to work effectively.

When two plates of food had been prepared, the men sat down to eat at the long wooden table. Halfway through his steak, Squall was interrupted by the insistent buzzing against his thigh. Grabbing his mobile, Squall spotted the questioning look on the blond's face before he moved his head to look at the mobile in his hand. _Quistis_. Frowning slightly the brunet brought the phone to his ear.

"Yes?," he questioned.

"Where are you?" Quistis asked quickly. "Are you alright?"

Locking eyes with Seifer again, Squall contemplated his answer.

"In Trabia," he answered, turning his head for a bit of privacy.

"Are you okay?" Quistis repeated, anxious.

"I'm fine," came the curt reply.

A brief pause fell between them.

"I'm sorry Squall. No coordinates have been uploaded for a while and I just assumed..." she trailed off.

"I took a couple of days off," he explained.

"Okay...," came the skeptic reply. They both knew he'd been gone for four months now and hadn't had a single day off in that time. He never took time off.

"How is everyone?" he asked, feigning politeness, trying to distract her.

"Fine, fine. Same as always. They're all hoping for a visit. Rinoa still hasn't forgiven you for not dropping by," she admonished.

"Tell her I'm sorry," Squall said, eyes falling to the floor, the apology coming surprisingly easy to him. "I just don't want to be stuck anywhere at the moment."

Making a sound of understanding Quistis continued. "When are you going to drop by B-Garden again?"

"For now I'm working in Trabia. After that probably I'll probably do Esthar and then Centra."

"You're not coming back before you're done?" Quistis asked with a heavy heart.

"No," Squall answered not knowing what else to say.

"Can I at least tell Selphie and Irvine that you'll be dropping by?"

"I'm already behind schedule. I can't make any promises," Squall said, not wanting to commit to anything. The prospect of socializing didn't rate highly in his mind.

"But you can take time off... to do what exactly?" she asked accusingly.

"... ..."

Sighing heavily, Quistis knew she wouldn't get any more information out of the stoic man, so moved on to a different topic. "Did you follow up on the rumor about Seifer?"

Knowing Quistis' voice could be heard by the other man, Squall studied the blond's expression. A shade of annoyance mixed with worry lined the man features.

"That's all it was. A rumor. Another dead end," Squall said, noting the other man relaxing at the answer.

"I still don't get the obsession. Obviously Seifer doesn't want to be found."

"I just want to fight someone who knows the right end of a blade," Squall said and rolled his eyes when Seifer smirked at him knowingly.

"Heh. That reminds me. Zell has just become Garden's martial arts instructor. Hard to believe, right?"

Smiling slightly at the thought of Zell teaching, Squall felt his stomach constrict when he spotted green eyes studying him intently. Turning away from Seifer once more, Squall frowned.

"Can I come visit you?" Quistis asked. "There's not a lot of missions. I could help out."

"I work better alone," Squall answered before realizing he was being too blunt. A habit he found hard to break. "There's not enough work for two," he added, trying to cover up his blunder. Hearing noise coming from Seifer's direction, the brunet turned around and was rewarded with Seifer mouthing the word 'smooth'.

"Listen, I gotta go," Squall said, wondering how long it'd be before the blond would somehow mess up and ruin their ruse.

"Okay, Squall. Take care, all right?" the woman on the other end of the line said, sounding sad.

"You too Quistis."

"And don't forget your promise, okay?" she said, unable to let go of her constant worry for the younger man.

"I won't," he assured and hung up.

Having listened in on the conversation, Seifer's interest was piqued. "What promise?"

"To not fight unjunctioned," Squall stated simply, cutting off another bite of steak.

"Is that why you're covered in unhealed scars?" the blond asked, his tone somewhat accusing.

About to place the tender bit of meat on his tongue, Squall stopped mid movement.

"Not that's it's any of your business, but no, that's not why," Squall said resuming eating.

"Then why?"

"I like the thrill," Squall said, shrugging.

"You really are one weird fuck, Leonhart," Seifer commented, more to himself than the brunet.

Annoyed at being judged, Squall couldn't help but mutter what had been on his mind for so many months. "At least I didn't run."

Hearing every word in perfect clarity, Seifer's face hardened into an expression of animosity. Mouth twisted in a bitter snarl, the blond went mad, his chair sliding back as he stood, facing the brunet. If it hadn't been for the table separating them, Squall would be hanging limply in a choke hold. Staring daggers at each other, the two men kept each other's gaze, both unrelenting. How dare Squall insinuate that he was a coward.

Gaining a cold edge to his eyes the blond couldn't help but let out the stinging words. "I'm not the one whoring myself out for a spar."

Infuriated, gray-blue eyes narrowed in venom. "You made me."

"And when the fuck have you ever done anything but what **you** wanted?" Seifer asked in indignation.

"The spar. I wanted the spar," Squall said, voice hard.

"So badly you'd let someone fuck you? What the fuck is wrong with you Squall?" the blond hollered.

"Whatever," Squall huffed, dismissing Seifer's presence by turning his head and getting up from the table.

Annoyed by the brunet's dismissal, Seifer needed to let his anger out in some way or another.

"Clean the fuck up after yourself," the blond spat, walking away from the table, past the seemingly indifferent brunet. "Stay at my house, follow my rules."

Unable to help himself, the brunet mocked the blond. "Does that include having to suck your dick?"

Seeing red, the blond charged at the brunet and threw him to the floor. Landing a clenched fist against the younger man's lower jaw, Seifer felt deep-rooted satisfaction. Spitting out blood, the brunet eyed the larger man in malice.

Holding Squall by the neck of his shirt, Seifer looked into gray-blue eyes, daring the younger man to speak again. Glaring back in defiance the brunet kept his ground but didn't move to further irk the blond.

"I didn't hear you complaining much," Seifer hissed. Getting up, he left the brunet lying sprawled on the floor.

"You can sleep on the couch tonight. I'll be ready at dawn," Seifer said walking away. "As soon as the spar is over I want you gone."

With that the blond went upstairs, leaving the bleeding brunet to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fully dressed, Squall sat waiting in the dark. It wasn't light out yet, still hours till sunrise. He hadn't slept well. Too many thoughts, too much noise in his head. And he was impatient. Soon, he would get what he'd come for. He could only hope that Seifer hadn't let his skills as a gunblader deteriorate. That would be a major disappointment. Frowning at the thought, Squall idly touched his chest, grasping for his griever pendant. He hadn't thought much of his missing necklace till now, other thoughts more prominent in his mind. Though they were more prominent, he kept pushing them aside. He didn't want to deal with their meanings. He didn't want to dwell on why he had reacted the way he had when Seifer had touched him or why Seifer had chosen the payment he had. Or even why he felt envy when he walked around in this house. Those thoughts simply didn't matter. To pay attention to them would only lead to him being mentally unprepared for the upcoming fight. He needed his mind calm and collected, void of disruptions. He could deal with those thoughts later. Maybe if he planned how and when to deal with them they would leave him alone for now. Sighing, the brunet rubbed tired fingers against his forehead, kneading the tense muscles.

* * *

Descending the stairs, the voice of the usually taciturn Commander greeted Seifer.

"I already talked to them," Squall said, his back turned to Seifer.

Looking in the brunet's direction, Seifer noticed the mobile held against the younger man's ear. Raising an eyebrow in question, Seifer walked closer, the brunet still not noticing his presence.

"Just you," Squall said softly and Seifer stopped dead in his tracks. _Who the hell is he talking to?_

For a moment Squall was silent, listening to the person on the other end of the line. He was obviously enjoying what the other person was saying because a small smile appeared on his lips. Stumped by witnessing this side to his one time rival, Seifer stood transfixed.

"We can do that," the brunet said, smile growing. "But I want some time alone with you as well."

Feeling his body tensing involuntarily at the words, Seifer blamed his building annoyance on jealousy. Pretty boy had someone close to him. It somehow seemed unfair that the socially awkward brunet had someone he felt that comfortable with when Seifer didn't. Deciding to make his presence know and interrupt the little tête-à-tête, the blond walked briskly past the brunet, making his way to the kitchen.

Sensing the blond's presence, Squall tensed visibly and his expression changed into one of bitterness. Voice noticeably cooler, the brunet continued his conversation. "I need to go. I'll see you the 20th."

Hearing the mobile being shut closed, Seifer proceeded to make himself a bowl of cereal.

"Where's my necklace?" frosty words inquired.

"Upstairs," the blond replied nonchalantly.

As determined footsteps faded up the stairs, Seifer gritted his teeth. He'd woken up well rested and somewhat eager. The spar had felt welcome and he had looked forward to playing with Hyperion. But it had taken less than a couple of minutes for the brunet to completely sour his mood. _How the fuck does he do that?_

When the brunet reentered the room, Seifer's eyes fell on the silver lining Squall's neck. With it, it seemed Squall's eyes had grown impossibly colder, his face stern and pose forbidding.

"You ready?" Squall asked without looking at the blond.

Making a noise of assent, Seifer set off from the kitchen, leaving his half finished bowl of cereal behind. Grabbing a trench coat the blond headed upstairs to fetch his weapon.

* * *

Walking next to each other, the two men made their way through the forest. Fresh dew still covered leaves on the ground as the sun worked its way up higher in the sky. It was cold out, still early in the morning. Apart from leaves being crushed beneath heavy boots, no noise was heard, the two fighters lost in separate worlds.

The brunet seemed to be leading the two, the blond not hesitating to follow. This was Squall's part of the deal and Seifer would live up to his part of the bargain.

Spotting the calm lake in the distance, the blond wasn't the least bit surprised. It was a good place for a spar. They would have ample space and not have to worry about getting a blade stuck in a tree trunk. Inhaling deeply, Seifer grabbed Hyperion's hilt and shifted the blade out of its holster. The weight felt good in his hands. Distancing himself from Squall, the blond started a warm up routine. He practiced by the lake regularly so fell into his usual moves with skillful ease.

Out of the corners of his eyes, Seifer spotted the brunet lost in thought, looking out over the lake. Abruptly, the younger man turned to face him.

"No magic," the brunet stated.

"Sure," Seifer agreed.

"Usual terms," Squall said, specifying the rules of the spar. It would end when one of them passed out, admitted defeat or at first blood.

The blond nodded and moved into his usual fighting pose.

"Warm ups first," the brunet stated as he too adopted his usual stance.

Circling each other, sizing each other up, the two men concentrated solely on the movements of the other. Each little twitch or slight motion of the other registered as they prepared themselves.

Jumping forward with feline grace, the brunet swung his gunblade at the blond. Easily avoiding the jab Seifer grinned before swinging his own blade low towards Squall's legs. Watching the brunet dodge his attack, Seifer spun around in the air, lifting his blade before bringing it down towards Squall's body on instinct. A loud metallic clang sounded as the two blades met, locked in a cross over Squall's head.

Knowing he didn't possess the strength to push the blades up and away from his face in this position, Squall swiftly distanced himself. The smirk on Seifer's face grew wider and bolder.

Eyeing up the blond, Squall felt invigorated. Clearly the blond hadn't let his skills slide. Setting off into a sprint, the smaller man took three consecutive blows at the blond, Hyperion meeting Lion Heart angrily each time.

Pleased with how his defensive moves came so natural to him, Seifer remembered how good it felt to let himself go, fighting the brunet on pure instinct. With the lion there was no time to think, only time to act.

Sensing the end to the brunet's combo, the blond thrust forward, the force behind his strike causing Squall to twist his hand as Lion Heart was almost forced out of his tight grip. Backing away, slightly shocked, the brunet narrowed his eyes as Seifer wagged his eyebrow, the blond obviously pleased with himself.

"Enough of a warm up?" Seifer asked, teasing.

Breathing heavily the brunet nodded and Seifer wondered when he had last felt this good. 'Last night' his mind supplied flawlessly, making the blond chuckle inwardly.

Tightening his grip on Lion Heart, Squall focused all his energy on Seifer, eyes darting from the blond's eyes to his hands, blade, feet, all the while trying to sense any movement or any indication of an attack. Reluctantly acknowledging that the blond wanted him to begin the fight, Squall cut through the air testily, weighing the blade in his hands. There was a slight breeze, but not anything he had to consider when dealing his blows. Taking quick steps in Seifer's direction, the brunet started his deadly dance.

When the first blow landed, Seifer had to put all his strength behind his blocking maneuver to hold Lion Heart back. The tremendous strength behind the smaller man's strikes always amazed him. How could such lean muscles carry out moves with such great force?

As the blades once again parted, Seifer started a series of assaults that drove the brunet backwards, brows wound tightly into a frown of concentration. Successfully blocking all of the blond's moves, Squall turned the tables by using his superior speed to sneak in a counterattack. Unable to block the jab, the blond only just managed to sidestep. Smirk faltering, the blond increased the distance between them.

Appraising the retreat of the larger man, Squall dashed forward on light feet, not allowing Seifer to regain his breath. Realizing he wasn't granted the brief respite, Seifer moved forward as well, putting all his strength behind a lower cut. Blades crossed, the two men were locked in a battle of brute force, both holding their ground. Expertly sliding his blade against Seifer's, Squall swirled his blade and brought it out on top, forcing Hyperion towards the pebbled ground. Quickly, Seifer retracted his blade before swinging it down towards Squall's extended arm. Leaping to the side, Squall rolled on the ground before getting back up on his feet.

Underneath black combat boots, the ground began shaking, radiating out from where the SeeD Commander was standing. Gray-blue eyes flashed dangerously as the air around the fighter started swirling. Yellow flames shot from the ground, surrounding the brunet in a cone of fire.

Surprised at the sight before him, Seifer muttered to himself. _What the hell?_

A spark of bright light shone from Squall's blade, growing into a ball of pure energy, signaling the start of his limit break. Dashing forwards the brunet spotted the look of surprise on the blond's face before swinging Lion Heart back over his head to increase the force of his blow. Slicing diagonally through the air with his blade, Squall made impact. Cutting through Seifer's shirt, blood started dripping onto the ground. Incapable of stopping himself, the brunet jumped into the air, placing one immaculate blow after another at the blond's form. Drawing energy from the air around him, Squall prepared one final attack, once again lacerating the blond.

Returning to his fighting stance the brunet's breaths came quickly and he had to close his eyes to steady himself. Lion Heart was like an elixir; the blade made his whole body sing. No one had made him connect so strongly with it since Ultimecia and euphoria filled him as the sound of his fast pulse drowned out everything else.

Sputtering coughs tore Squall back to the present and he opened his eyes to find his rival hunched over, rivulets of blood seeping through long gashes in his torn shirt.

"Fuck, Leonheart, I thought you said no magic," the blond said crossly.

Amazed at how composed the larger man was despite his injuries, Squall walked over. "It's not magic. It's the blade."

Cursing as he healed himself, Seifer was temporarily distracted, not noticing the somewhat admiring look to the brunet's eyes.

"You didn't take all the blows," the brunet stated, counting the number of slashes on the blond's shirt.

"I took enough," the blond snorted.

Still high from their fight, Squall eyed the blond. "Again?"

"Sure," Seifer replied, not hesitating for even a minute. During the last half an hour he'd rediscovered how much fun it was to play with the lion. "If you show me that attack in slow motion," he said, discarding his ruined shirt.

Curious gray-blue eyes studied the blond before Squall distanced himself, getting into the pose that signaled the start of his limit break. Slowly angling the blade into the various positions that made up the move, Squall was surprised at how natural each move came to him even when he focused on it so intently.

"How do you gain enough strength behind each attack?" Seifer asked, awed by the sequence of moves. Maybe at the speed Leonhart had just done it he could do it himself, but the speed the brunet had used during their spar had been baffling. "The speed..."

Slightly hesitant, the brunet explained. "It comes from the blade. Some of the materials used to forge it can harness the energy around the person wielding it." Pausing, the younger man looked at where the tip of Lion Heart met pebbled ground. "There has to be a strong connection between the wielder and blade for it to work."

"Let me hold it." Seifer said, walking closer and holding out his hand.

"No," the brunet replied harshly, eyes cold.

Somewhat annoyed, the blond retracted his hand. "Are there other blades like it?"

"Not that I know of," Squall replied. "I've seen blueprints for a couple of others like Lion Heart, but none that have been forged."

"It's one of the legendary ones?" Seifer asked, recognizing the name.

Squall just nodded in reply.

Stroking his chin, the blond's green eyes were lost in wonder. "I've never seen one before. Only read about them." Walking over to look at the blade closer up, the blond squatted down next to it. "New or original?"

"New," the brunet stated, somewhat tense at the blond's close proximity to the blade. "According to some records I found at the libraries in Esthar all the originals were lost or destroyed."

"Did you find the blueprint for this baby there?" the blond asked, curious eyes leaving the sharp curves of the blade to look into the harsh gray-blues eyes of the brunet.

"No. I found those in Shumi Village. But only for five out of the rumored eight."

"And you chose Lion Heart," Seifer stated, looking at the ground, lost in thought. _To draw on the strong connection he has with Shiva, no doubt._ For a moment the blond remained quiet. "Which other ones did you find?"

"Cataclysm, Sunreaver, Wraithbringer and Stoneguard."

"Hn," Seifer huffed and stood up. "Show me the attack sequence again."

Obliging, the brunet slowly worked his way through the series of attacks that completed his limit break. For each move the lithe fighter made, Seifer planned a corresponding block. He knew counterattacks would be out of the question; he'd be lucky if he could even manage the blocks if he remembered the speed of the attacks correctly.

"Can you do it now?" Seifer asked when Squall finished the demonstration. "For real, I mean."

"No," the brunet answered, eyes locked on the ornate blade in his hands. "I have to connect with Lion Heart in battle."

Smirking, the blond walked away, leaving a decent gap between them. "Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, eyes dancing in mirth as he assumed his sparring position. In spite of himself, Squall couldn't stop the gentle tug at the corners of his mouth, the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips.

Twenty minutes later, the two men stood next to each other, panting, one curing himself, the other counting cuts on the larger man's torso.

Squall couldn't believe how quickly Seifer had adapted to his limit break. He had managed to pull it off twice in their short fight. During the first time the blond had managed to block all of the brunet's attacks. _Unbelievable. _Squall remembered the other man being good, better than anyone else, but he was still amazed at the display of sheer talent by the other man. The second time Squall had used his limit break during their fight he'd managed to get in three cuts and had thus ended the spar.

Running his hand over freshly healed skin, the blond cussed. He hated losing. _Fucking blade._ It didn't seem fair. If it wasn't for that blade Seifer was certain he could have come out the winner.

Pushing the tip of Hyperion into the pebbled lakeside, Seifer sat down next to it, eyes on the calm surface of the dark water. Crouching down next to the blond, Squall lowered himself onto the ground, laying Lion Heart softly by his side. Lost in separate worlds, neither said anything for a while.

Keeping his gaze on the reflection of the sun on the lake, the brunet finally found the words to best convey how he was feeling. "Thank you."

It had been a deal, and Hyne knew he'd paid for the spar. But the extreme euphoria that had filled him earlier was beyond price. He could live on just the memory for a long time.

"Huh?" Seifer said, turning his head to look at the brunet. He wasn't sure if he'd just imagined the words that had come out of Squall's mouth. He didn't really think it was plausible that they even existed in the younger man's vocabulary.

"For the spar. I needed it," the younger man replied strangely at ease.

"Who says we're done yet?" the blond said, voice teasing.

Scrunching his brows in confusion, Squall turned his head to look at the blond.

"How about we grab a couple of the blades from my place and try them out?" Seifer explained, keeping his eyes locked with Squall's. "It's a shame for them to just be collecting dust."

Lowering his gaze, Squall contemplated Seifer's words. The willingness of the blond left him stumped. The friendly atmosphere left him perplexed. The thought of sparring with Seifer again made him excited and eager. It was a genuine smile that graced his lips as he pushed himself up from the cold ground to head back towards the cabin.

* * *

Arms weighed down by heavy blades, the two fighters made their way back to the cabin. It was dark, the moon casting the forest in a serene glow. They had spent the entire day fighting, improving their skills and testing their abilities against each other. When they had both been working with unfamiliar blades, they had tied a couple of times but also both come out victorious. Seifer had been extremely pleased when he had finally beaten the brunet, gloating profusely despite how many times the brunet had defeated him that same day.

Entering the house, the two men put the many gunblades down on the table. The brunet's touch lingered on one of them, a minimalistic blade forged from a black material that almost seemed to absorb the light surrounding it. Seifer's eyes lingered on the connection, having his suspicion of the brunet's favoritism confirmed.

"I got that in Lunear," the blond spoke.

Squall was confused. He couldn't understand how the blond had afforded this place, these blades, or how he had seemingly been around the world and yet stayed undetected. "How?" Squall finally asked, eyes not leaving the blade.

Sensing the depth of the question, Seifer decided not to answer. Raking his fingers through his hair, he walked off to get cleaning equipment.

The two men cleaned the blades in silence, returning them one by one to their respective positions on the wall. As they were finishing up, Seifer thought back to what had happened that morning. The anger he had felt then was completely gone. In fact the thought of Squall leaving left him with a peculiar feeling of unease.

"You can stay the night," the blond stated without looking at Squall. "The couch isn't going anywhere."

Looking at Seifer, Squall tried to read the other man. The offer had been unexpected. The blond had remained uncharacteristically civil the whole day and Squall was expecting the other shoe to drop at any moment. Nodding at the blond's offer, Squall hoped he wouldn't come to regret his decision.

"Can I use your shower?" Squall asked.

"Sure," the blond replied, eyes tracing the younger man's body before he could stop himself.

Raising an eyebrow at the weird look Seifer was giving him, Squall headed for the stairs.

It was unsettling walking through Seifer's bedroom. The last couple of days seemed extremely surreal, almost dreamlike. Or nightmarish. Squall still wouldn't allow himself to think about what had happened. Instead he had stored away all feelings and thoughts to be dealt with at another time. He'd decided to seek Quistis' advice and had already arranged to see her just little over a week away. It had made dealing with the present much more comfortable; no thoughts distracting him from the present.

Enjoying the cool trickle of water against his skin, Squall cleaned himself, removing the grime from the day's fights. He had minor cuts that needed cleaning as well, still keeping to his promise of not curing himself. Finding a first aid kit, Squall dressed his wounds and got ready to go back downstairs.

Spotting the blond sitting in an armchair staring off into the bright flames, Squall flopped down on the couch. In silence they both enjoyed the warmth radiating from the fireplace. It was a while before the quiet was broken.

"Why did you leave?" Squall asked, unable to tear his thoughts away from that one train of though. His tone wasn't accusing, merely curious.

Staring off into space, Seifer pondered his reply.

"The trial," he finally replied.

Somewhat annoyed at the answer Squall narrowed his eyes.

"Being locked up, not knowing if I'd be sentenced to years in confinement," the blond continued, his voice edging on bitterness.

"Raijin and Fujin were acquitted," Squall interjected, remembering how quickly their trail had been resolved.

"They followed orders," Seifer explained, just as much to himself as to the brunet.

"They were brainwashed. So were you."

"Is that what you believe?" Seifer asked.

Squall's behavior was starting to make more sense to him. It had confused Seifer that the brunet hadn't wanted revenge. He truly hadn't considered the other man to have such strong faith in him.

"You wouldn't have done those things," came the quiet reply.

Feeling guilty for the first time since shortly after the war, Seifer shifted uneasily in his chair. What he had done out of repressed anger at his past was inexcusable. None of what had happened during the war had been his fault, he knew that. But he couldn't blame his recent behavior on mind control. Feeling his stomach twist, the blond wondered morbidly if he had subconsciously derived any pleasure from the acts the Sorceress had forced him to perform.

Sensing the blond's growing distress, Squall had an inexplicable urge to reassure him. Unfamiliar with such notions and how to act on them, the brunet remained silent. He could no longer remain angry at the blond for having left. He hadn't considered the impact of the unknown, just assumed the blond would have gone through an easy trial like Raijin and Fujin, or at least only had to deal with a short sentence. However short though, Squall could all to vividly image how he himself would deal with being locked up. Especially if he didn't know how long he'd be locked up for. It would kill him. He couldn't believe how blind he'd been; that he hadn't thought it through properly from Seifer's perspective; that he'd been too blinded by his own need.

Letting his eyes land on the blond, the brunet was suddenly filled with curiosity. "How long have you been here?"

"Four or five months."

"How can you afford it?" Squall asked in disbelief. Seifer started laughing quietly, amused at the brunet's expression.

"Garden takes quite the commission," the blond replied, amusement dying down as he thought about his one time home.

Pausing in contemplation, the brunet was resigned to the truth behind the other man's words.

Basking in the warmth surrounding him whilst feeling the soft cushions hugging him, Squall was overcome with tiredness. Sinking into the couch, he turned to lie down. Succumbing to sleep, gray-blue eyes shut close, shutting out the world for the night.

Watching the brunet drift off, the blond felt at ease. Last time he had spoken with Squall like this had been during their SeeD exam in Dollet. Even though they had always been rivals there had also always been a strange unspoken understanding between them and a level of friendship that went deeper than the rivalry. In spite of his initial reaction, Seifer found that he had missed the younger man. Letting his eyes travel the smaller man's form, he felt something else now too.

Yawning, the blond got up and cast one last glance at the relaxed fighter lying on the couch. Maybe he could persuade the Commander to stay for another day of sparring.

* * *

When green eyes scanned the living room the following morning it was with annoyance and an empty feeling in his stomach. There was no trace of the brunet. It was like he had never been there. The blanket on the couch was folded neatly, the fire extinguished and the blue glow of Lion Heart absent. Seifer was alone again.

Moving to the kitchen, Seifer decided he didn't care, and he was certain the painful tugs in his chest would disappear soon enough. Opening the fridge he grabbed the milk and got out a bowl. It wasn't till he was halfway through pouring a cup of coffee that Seifer spotted the note lying on the kitchen counter.

Fingering the piece of paper, Seifer wasn't sure he wanted to read it. Cursing whilst rubbing his forehead with tired hands, the blond willed himself not to think. Taking a sip of the bitter liquid, the blond sat down at the counter and stared into nothingness. He wasn't unhappy that the other man had left and he definitely wouldn't miss him.

Reading the note, the tenseness that had consumed the blond since he'd come down to find the house empty, slowly dissipated.

'_709-3645-763  
When you have time, let me know.  
S.'  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

With his back against the wooden wall, the fighter sat slumped on the worn bed. The room was dark, only a small light on a bedside table casting the room in an blueish hue. Sometimes the light would flicker, drawing the brunet's attention away from the map laid out in his lap. Energy was sparse in this region. He was about two thirds of the way through mapping out the draw points of Trabia. Another couple of weeks and he would be done. The weather had been harsh recently and he felt like wherever he went he couldn't get warm. Staying in cheap hotels where the owners couldn't afford to heat up the water obviously didn't help, but Squall refused to spend ridiculous amounts of gil on something as fleeting as bodily indulgence.

Working on planning his route for the next day, the brunet's thoughts strayed to the coming weekend instead. He would be going to Trabia Garden. He would only be staying there for two nights, but the thought of being bound by social responsibilities gnawed at him. Quistis would be meeting him there so they could spend some time together whilst visiting Irvine and Selphie. It had been a long time since he had seen them. Sometimes he would talk to Selphie on the phone, well, mostly she would be talking and he would say the occasional word. It wasn't that he disliked them. Gossip and everyday mundanities just didn't excite him in the least. Pleasantries almost made him gag. But he did care for Selphie and Irvine, just in his own way. During the war they had grown on him, become a part of his life and he experienced a particular kind of gratification from knowing they were doing well and were happy.

The same held true for Quistis. Out of the people he'd become used to the presence of, she was the one he cared for the most. Rinoa had been more like aversion therapy. He had come to associate her presence with discomfort. She always made him feel like he didn't belong, that something was wrong with him. At first he had thought she was right and had tried to change himself, but it had only caused him grief and left him distressed. She pointed out all his shortcomings; things that he hadn't really considered wrong and later learnt was something so integral to him that he could never change them. He wasn't antisocial because he was shy or insecure, he genuinely didn't want to waste his time on pleasantries and meaningless gossip. It was for those reasons the brunet was filled with mixed eagerness and dread at the upcoming social gathering. To say he was out of practice was an understatement. Almost half a year of traveling on his own left him at a severe disadvantage.

Storing away the map for the night, Squall prepared for bed. He hadn't heard from Seifer. Not that he had expected to. But he couldn't deny that he had hoped to. He would frequently be thinking back to the day they had sparred, it had been the best day in as long as he could remember. The only regret he had was that Seifer didn't have a blade that matched Lion Heart. Fighting against a truly skilled gunblader wielding a legendary weapon would surely be the most satisfying experience of all. Sometimes Squall would consider going back to visit the blond and offer him Lion Heart to fight with in exchange for a spar. Sometimes the mere thought would make him want to retch.

Checking his mobile once more, the brunet got under the duvet, teeth clattering from the cold surrounding him.

* * *

Entering the dark house, the blond threw the duffel bag he'd been carrying onto the floor before removing his soaked coat. The twenty minute walk from where he usually parked his SUV had been enough time for the rain to soak through every single layer of clothing. Wanting to get a fire going, Seifer headed straight for the fireplace, haphazardly dropping items of clothing on the way. Once the fire was lit he quickly went upstairs to grab a towel to dry himself off. Putting on comfortable clothes, he headed straight back down, his mind on the treasure lying in the bag he'd discarded earlier. Impatiently unzipping the wet bag, he reached inside before closing his fingers around the heavy object. Freeing the blade, the look of red tinted black metal pleased the blond immensely. Like the blade Squall had seemed to favor over the rest, this one had a special aura almost extinguishing the light surrounding it. Sitting down by the coffee table, Seifer decided to wait till morning with mounting the blade and laid it down in front of him.

Relaxing in the armchair, the blond mentally went through the last couple of days. Another mission had been completed successfully and once again he had found himself wandering the streets with a bag full of gil. Unable to use a bank account like any normal person, Seifer had months ago figured out an alternative way of accumulating his wealth; a way that appealed to him greatly. Each gunblade represented a well payed mission. It had become a ritual. When completing a mission he would hunt for a suitable blade before returning home. This time around the search had taken longer than usual. He had been pickier than usual. It had taken him three whole days before he had found the beauty now lying in front of him. Looking at the skillfully crafted blade, Seifer felt both proud and content.

Catching himself wondering what Squall would think of this latest addition, Seifer chuckled, somewhat amused with himself. Not many moments passed these days without his thoughts returning to the dark haired fighter. He'd gone from almost forgetting about the younger man's existence to becoming borderline obsessed. All because of the short visit. Letting a finger trace slowly along the cold blade, Seifer instead remembered his finger's path along the harsh curves of brunet.

Frowning, Seifer realized the futility of letting his mind play with such dangerous thoughts. He wouldn't complain if he could get a repeat performance. But however highly he rated the incident, he also cursed it and the crystal clear images that came with it. In the light of day Seifer felt ashamed by what he had forced the brunet to do. Pent up anger and frustration had gotten the better of him, but still he knew it was no excuse. And fuck, it seemed to have caused his mind to get stuck in a continuous loop, lewd thoughts cropping up constantly. Agitated, Seifer cursed out loud. Wanting to screw the brunet did not mesh well with the whole idea of self preservation. There was no way Squall would submit willingly. And there was no way Seifer was going to force the brunet again. Not that the blond entertained any grand illusions about being able to force the younger man to do anything, anyway. No, he would have to forget about his crazed urges if he were to attain the other thing his mind had been contemplating recently. A sparring partner. Maybe even friendship. Judging by the message Squall had left and by their last day spent together such thoughts didn't seem implausible. All Seifer had to do was make it happen.

* * *

More nervous than he would like to admit, i.e. nervous at all, Squall killed the engine of his bike. Stepping off, he removed his helmet whilst taking in the sight of Trabia Garden. It was a strange combination of new and old, brand new wings shooting up in the midst of the rubble that had been left in the wake of the war. The new parts were sophisticated, polished white marble glistening in the reflected sun of the snow. Hanging the helmet on the bike's handlebar, Squall looked back towards the path he had come from. He still couldn't decide if coming had been a mistake or not.

The sound of someone running towards him was quickly drowned out by excited yelling. "SQUALL!"

Jumping towards the SeeD Commander, the petite brunette linked her arms around the reluctant man mid air. Hesitantly returning the firm hug, Squall set Selphie back on the ground. Behind her Squall spotted Irvine gently tipping the brim of his cowboy hat in greeting.

"Wooo! You're here!" the girl exclaimed, barely containing her glee. Her face was one big smile as she held both of the Commander's arms in a tight grip, certain he'd disappear any moment. "You're really here!"

"Whoa Selphie, hold on now. Give the guy a chance to breathe," Irvine said walking closer. He couldn't help but smile himself as he came face to face with the somewhat flustered Commander. "Man, it's been, like, ages since we last saw you."

Hitting Squall playfully in the stomach, Selphie agreed. "Yes, you big meanie!"

Calming down, the petite girl's eyes became glossy. She had missed her friend a lot. Gingerly lifting a hand to play with Squall's hair she was lost in cataloging all the little changes. Noticing their friend's mounting uncomfortableness, Irvine cleared his throat.

Catching movement in the background, Squall looked beyond their gathering. Eyes landing on a stern blonde, Squall felt a sudden emptiness was over him. He felt bad for having stayed away for so long. Here was one person he had truly missed.

Leaning against a fence, Quistis stood regarding them. She had obviously been watching, most likely reluctant to interfere, knowing it had been far longer since Irvine and Selphie had last seen Squall.

Walking past Selphie and Irvine, Squall headed straight for the blonde. When he got nearer Quistis pushed herself away from the fence. She was keeping her emotions well veiled, her face giving nothing away. As soon as Squall was within range, he put his arms around her, unable to suppress the urge to hold her close. If there was one thing he had learnt during the war it was that sometimes even he needed a friend.

Looking over Squall's shoulder, Quistis took in the sight of a gleeful Selphie covering her mouth in surprise. Irvine seemed indifferent, just smiling at her as if he knew her and Squall had always had a special connection. Returning Squall's hug, Quistis was somewhat baffled. Squall was rarely affectionate in public. Squall was rarely affectionate, period.

"Squall?" she tried in question, her voice nearly breaking as she tried to speak his name.

Moving away from her as if nothing strange had just taken place, Squall looked back at Irvine and Selphie, happy to see them both. Selphie quickly moved to his side and snuck her hand under his arm, before leading him towards the garden entrance.

"Yay, we're all together!" she spoke, delighted. "I mean, most of us, anyway. Quistis got here just a few hours ago, so she's only just getting settled in as well."

Spotting the bag hanging off Squall's shoulders, she continued.

"Do you need to drop that off? I got you a guest room at the end of the SeeD wing. Number 304. Right next to Quistis' room. She's in 306. They're really great rooms, all sparkly and new. Not like the old crappy dusty pieces of --" Catching herself rambling on, once again spotting the bag hanging off Squall's shoulder, Selphie went back to her first train of thought. "Oh yeah! Did you want to drop that off?

Slightly amused by his friend's behaviour, Squall smiled faintly before shrugging, not caring either way.

"Like I said, it's right next to Quistis'" the petite brunette said, smiling, as she handed Squall a key card. "I'll show you."

Walking ahead with Quistis by her side, Selphie began chatting with the somewhat amused blonde. Eyeing up Squall, Irvine fell into step beside the younger man. "She's been really excited all week. Can't really blame her... it has been quite a while after all."

Nodding in affirmation, Squall was finding himself more at ease than he had imagined. Despite all the apprehension he had felt earlier, he now had a feeling the weekend was going to turn out okay.

"It really is great to see you, man," Irvine continued, his lips curling into a smile.

Finding himself returning the sentiment, Squall looked briefly at the tall cowboy, warm violet eyes meeting gaze. "You too."

"How's the mission going?"

"Fine, progress is slow but that was to be expected. My bike keeps breaking down because of the weather."

"Hmm... I'll have Zhang look at it, maybe he has some spare parts that can help you out."

"Thanks."

Reaching a junction, Squall was amazed at how busy the garden was. When they had visited the garden after the attack on it during the war there had been hardly any students around. Noticing the Commander's scowl aimed at a crowd of teenagers, Selphie couldn't help but smile fondly.

"It's Saturday. Not much for the students to do around here on weekends," she explained.

As if surprised she knew what he was thinking, Squall shifted his gaze to look at her and was met with a beaming smile.

Squall's eyes kept lingering on their surroundings as the others fell back into conversation. He couldn't believe how far they'd come with the restoration. The sleek white occasionally flowing into clear glass gave the place an almost ethereal feel. _Esthar must've been forking out a lot of money for this_.

Feeling expectant eyes on him, Squall noted that the others had come to a halt. Stopping as well, he spotted the number 304 on the door to his left. _The guest room. _Producing the key card, he slid it into the card reader and waited for the door to slide open. Walking inside, he quickly surveyed the room. Small, barren. Only a desk and a bed plus a door most likely leading to a bathroom. _Perfect._ Dropping his bag on the bed he headed back out.

"Y'know, I've been waiting for ages to show you everything that's changed here," Selphie said, bringing her hands together in glee. "The training center is awesome. I know you're gonna love it!"

Spotting Quistis' golden whip hanging off her belt and the tip of Exeter poking out over Irvine's shoulder, Squall couldn't help but be astonished by how well they all seemed to know him. Catching Quistis smiling softly at him, Squall turned around and went back into the guest room to pick up Lion Heart. The weekend was definitely looking up.

* * *

"BOOM!" Selphie shouted gleefully, as she landed a Firaga on the hexadragon.

When Quistis' whip cracked moments later, the monster sank to the floor, defeated.

"Whoo-hoo!" the tiny brunette cheered, jumping on the spot excitedly.

A pleased smile on her lips, Quistis agreed. "That was fun,"

"Oh man! Just like the old days," Irvine added, looking at the fallen monster as Squall agreed in silence with the barest of nods. The fight had presented him with only the barest of thrills, the four of them against a hexadragon not even close to a challenge. And when the students had found out what had been going on, they had soon gathered to look on. Squall hated an audience. He especially hated it when he felt the weight of all their eyes on him.

"Eeeee! Let's do another one," Selphie half shouted, oblivious to Squall's growing discomfort.

Knowing Squall better than anyone, Quistis spoke up. "How about dinner? I'm getting quite peckish."

"Oh yeah!" the petite brunette quickly agreed, seeming just as happy about the prospect of dinner as fighting another monster. "Me too."

"Sounds good," Irvine chimed in. Eager to get out of there, Squall agreed as well.

"Okay, so tonight I've persuaded Sara to make us something special, but tomorrow I've roped Irvine into cooking. He makes this super nice Galbadian dish. It's like fish with these weird herbs and root vegetables. De-li-ci-ous!" Only stopping briefly to regain her breath, the brunette continued on. "So I guess we'll head back to Irvy and mine's now."

Eyes landing on Squall, she looked somewhat disappointed. "Bummer, you still haven't seen the library or the refectory. Ooooooo, or the infirmary." Squinting her eyes in amusement, she couldn't help but tease her friend. "Although I'm sure you'll get acquainted with the infirmary soon enough."

"Not if hexadragons are the strongest monsters around here," Squall commented dryly.

"Well... there's this rumor-" the exuberant brunette began, but was quickly cut off by Quistis.

"Don't encourage him!" she said harshly, sending the younger girl a scolding glare. Catching Quistis' meaning, Irvine blanched. He had heard all about Squall's escalating 'games'. "Oh, man," he commented, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"What rumor?" Squall asked, interest piqued. There was no way Selphie wasn't going to tell him now.

Looking somewhat sheepish in Quistis' direction, Selphie knew she had made a mistake. _Oh, bummer._ She also knew Squall would love the story and found some comfort in that.

"Well, you see, there's been lots of stories floating around lately. Massive great big blue dragon carcasses have been found torn up, beaten to bloody pulps. No weapon marks or anything. From what people are saying an even bigger predator is on the prowl. Must be huuuuge. Some students even claim to have seen it, but no one has been able to describe it. Some say that it has special stealth abilities, that it vanishes immediately when they lay eyes on it. So quick that they don't manage to get a proper look. I reckon that's just them wanting attention though. Doesn't make any sense." Pausing in thought at the last statement, Selphie regained her breath. "There're also rumors about the forest northeast of here being more quiet now. The students are certain it's the new monster that has scared the other animals away. Or better yet, eaten them."

Quistis rolled her eyes, never one to believe the rumors. "If such a monster existed, how come no one has actually seen it properly yet? And don't give me that stealth crap."

"I dunno. But the students don't seem to venture out much anymore, not after the blue dragon carcasses started turning up."

"Aspiring SeeDs?" Squall inquired, incredulous.

"Yeah..." Selphie replied, somewhat reluctant, realizing what Squall was getting at.

"You're saying that the students here... students that are being **trained** to fight monsters... to defeat sorceresses, are too afraid to venture out of their school?"

Nodding, Selphie lowered her eyes to the floor. Squall rolled his eyes in return before looking at the the students still hanging around the training center in barely concealed disgust. He was certain that if it had happened at Balamb Garden back when he had been a student nothing would have been able to stop him from getting to the bottom of it. Unless, of course, Seifer had beat him to it. As it was, it was only out of politeness that he wasn't already out on the hunt. At the first opportunity he would be certain to pay the forest northeast of Trabia Garden a special visit.

"Riiiiiight, so... dinner?" the petite brunette asked, hopeful. Squall just nodded, unaware of the concerned look Quistis was sending his way.

"Let's head back," Irvine said softly, eyes meeting Quistis' in quiet understanding.

* * *

"So there we were, Melly screaming in the back and Irvy's knuckles white from holding onto his seat so hard," Selphie giggled as she spoke, gesturing wildly as she told the story. "It was awesome. I just went straight in there and landed right on the side of the mountain."

"Were they okay?" Quistis asked, curious.

"Yeah, Melly was able to sort them out real quick. Turns out it was just a couple of superficial wounds. They'd really called in the emergency because their vehicle had broken down and they didn't have any supplies to keep warm. They wouldn't have survived the night if we hadn't arrived." Only pausing for the briefest of moments, Selphie continued. "Anyone want some more noodles?"

"None for me, thanks," Quistis said looking over at Irvine and Squall who both just shook their heads.

"So if you want I'll take you guys for a ride tomorrow. Maybe we can catch sight of the big bad monster," the petite brunette suggested.

"Sure," Squall said, always enjoying the thin line between life and death he always experienced when flying with the girl. Ragnarok had never shown Selphie's full potential as it cushioned the girl's excited maneuvers, but anything less sophisticated and you got a ride that would put you right on the edge of your seat.

"Can I stay here?" Quistis asked, not sounding too keen.

"Of course not, silly! When we go BOOM on that monster you'd want to be there."

Feeling the familiar buzz of his mobile against his thigh, Squall tensed immediately. The only people that ever contacted him was in this room. Or Rinoa. But she'd called just the other day and they rarely spoke anymore. As the others continued talking, the brunet reluctantly reached for his mobile and flipped it open.

_'I've got time. 763-1954-955.'  
_  
Unable to help a scowl from emerging at the unexpected message, the very badly timed message at that, Squall typed in his reply as inconspicuously as possible.

_'I'm busy.'  
_  
Returning the phone to his pocket, Squall focused on catching up on the conversation whilst trying hard not to think about about the message he had just received. Feeling eyes on him, the brunet glanced in Quistis' direction. Sure enough, she seemed to be studying him intently.

Feeling another buzz against his thigh, Squall grimaced inwardly. He didn't want to deal with any questions from his friends. Curiosity winning out, Squall got out the phone once more.

_'I'm not. Get your ass here.'  
_  
_'Whatever,' _he typed in reply, desperately wanting this to wait. At the same time he found it harder by the minute to suppress his excitement. He knew without a doubt that if he hadn't been here, bound by social responsibility, he would have been on his way towards Matrei already. Screw pride. Nothing compared to sparring with the blond.

Lost in thought, Squall didn't even manage to put away his mobile before the next message appeared.

_'Eloquent as always.'_

Why did Seifer have to have such bad timing?

As the factory setting ring tone filled the air, the brunet cursed himself for forgetting to turn his phone on silent. Everyone's eyes were now on him and apart from the phone ringing once more the room was silent. Slightly flushed, Squall excused himself and walked away from the table. In quick strides he made it out on the balcony, already shivering from the cold evening air.

"What?" he half hissed as he answered his phone.

"Where are you?" a gruff voice demanded. Seifer had remained patient for days, forcing himself not to contact the brunet. It was no coincidence he had decided this night to be the night to finally contact Squall. He knew Squall had made arrangements to see someone on the 20th and the blond was going to find out who that someone was.

Annoyed that the blond thought Squall would be indulging in any sort of chitchat, he let out a terse reply. "None of your business."

"Humor me."

"Why?"

For a minute neither said a word. Then a deep exhale was heard on the other end of the line. Seifer was obviously already vexed by Squall's behavior.

"Fuck Squall, I'm just trying to be friendly here."

Pondering the reply, Squall chose to relent. "Trabia Garden."

"Yeah? What you doing there?" the blond asked, sounding surprisingly eager to carry on what in Squall's mind seemed like a pointless conversation.

"Again, none of your business."

At the other end, Seifer was getting more and more irritated. _Never fucking mind_. The brunet was no more fun to talk to than a wall. _What the hell was I thinking, anyway?_

"So are you gonna come?" he tried, knowing that at least a spar with the brunet would be welcome.

Hesitant to give his reply, Squall stalled. He wanted it so much. So badly. But he couldn't.

"I can't," he replied, voice strained.

Seifer felt bile rise in the back of his throat. He didn't like anything being more important than himself. "And here I was thinking you were desperate for a spar. So desperate you'd sell your body for it. Thought I'd do you a favor by offering it for free."

"I can't leave," the brunet spoke, annoyed.

Picking up on the distress in Squall's voice, Seifer calmed somewhat. At least it wasn't for a lack of want on the brunet's side.

"Okay," Seifer finally said in understanding. "When can you be here?"

Relived that the blond had somehow picked up on what he was unable to express in words, Squall started thinking ahead. He couldn't blow off his friends. He hadn't seen them in ages. They would never forgive him. He could hardly go visit Seifer right after the stay here either as that would probably cause bright red flags to appear on Quistis' 'Squall's not working' monitor. "Two weeks time. When I've finished Trabia."

"Finished Trabia?" the blond asked somewhat amused. "Right about now would be a great time to start making sense."

"It's to do with my current mission. Visiting you was a detour."

"You don't say..." the blonde spoke. "So two weeks from now? I can do that. You better practice though, I don't plan on giving you an easy ride like last time."

Squall couldn't help himself from snorting at the smug comment. He had beaten the blond countless times when they had last sparred and somehow Seifer still seemed to consider himself the alpha male. _Some things never change._

Thinking back on the day they'd spent fighting, it was with regret Squall remembered how overpowered Lion Heart made him. It had been entertaining fighting with the other blades, but the connection he felt with Lion Heart when challenged in battle was incomparable to anything else.

"Do you still prefer Ifrit?" Squall found himself asking, a vague plan beginning to form in the back of his mind.

"You know I never liked those parasites," Seifer replied in dismay.

Squall remembered. But he also remembered something else. "But you didn't stop using them. I watched you use magic."

Uncertain why Squall was going down this train of thought, Seifer replied, somewhat hesitant. "Bahamut."

_Non elemental._ Somehow Squall wasn't really surprised that the obstinate blond would chose the guardian force that by most was referred to as the king of guardian forces. "For how long?"

"Ever since I got him."

Having his answer, Squall remained quiet. Looking out at the moon, he became introspective. Even though he would never admit it to anyone, the brunet enjoyed the silent connection between them and was reluctant to end it. As the minutes passed it seemed the blond was hesitant as well until the line suddenly went dead, a soft click signalling the end of their conversation.

Not ready to head back inside, Squall leaned back against the railing, closing his eyes and focusing on the fresh cold air entering his lungs. A buzz jerked him out of his trance, his hand immediately flipping his mobile back open.

_'Keep your scrawny ass safe, Leonhart. I want a proper challenge next time.'  
_  
A tiny smile graced pale lips as the brunet ran a hand through his hair and opened the door to head back inside. It vanished just as quickly as it had appeared when three pairs of curious eyes landed on him.

"Rinoa?" Quistis asked, always straight to the point.

Contemplating how best to get around it without outright lying to his friends, Squall decided to keep his answers as curt as possible. "No," he said, not offering any other explanation.

"Zell?"

"No," he repeated, sitting down at the table. "What were you talking about?"

"Quistis was telling us about about her latest conquest," Irvine supplied, eyeing Quistis in mirth, enjoying how she started squirming, obviously not comfortable with Squall hearing about it. Irvine thought it was only fair to turn the tables; Squall didn't deserve to always be the one on the spot.

'Who?" Squall asked, not really caring, but wanting more than anything to turn the attention away from himself.

"A Galbadian marksman," Irvine quipped, eyes dancing as Quistis' cheeks flushed. Gray-blue eyes focused on Irvine, then Quistis, silently demanding an explanation. Surely Selphie would not willingly share her fiance.

"He transferred a couple of months ago from Galbadia Garden. He's a SeeD instructor," Quistis said, avoiding looking directly at Squall. "We're not really together..." she trailed off.

So it wasn't Irvine. He'd just been teasing Quistis because of the similarities.

Grinning, Irvine couldn't stop teasing. "You just have lost of sex."

"I... urgh." She sent Irvine a murderous glare. "This is the last time I'm telling you anything."

"Hey, hey, hey," Irvine laughed, holding up his hands in defeat.

Quistis just kept her scolding glare on the chuckling man.

"So... who was it on the phone?" Selphie asked, turning to look at Squall once more.

Irvine huffed, not able to save Squall a second time.

For a brief moment Squall wondered what it would be like if he just told them the truth. Would they even believe him if he told them that it had been Seifer who had just called? He didn't want to lie, but he also couldn't expose Seifer. And he really didn't want to get into why Seifer was phoning him in the first place.

"No one," was all he said.

Quistis arched an eyebrow, wondering why Squall wasn't telling them who it was. Why wouldn't he just come out with it already?

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said sternly, wanting desperately to put an end to the topic.

"Sure," Irvine agreed amicably, not knowing why the two girls were so bent on dragging that little detail out of the brunet, when the man was quite obviously not keen on talking about it.

"Oooooo, I know what we should do. The sky is so clear here at night. You **have **to see the stars," Selphie said, quickly rising from the table. The others followed suit, Quistis' eyes lingering on Squall. She never liked it when he kept secrets and she was absolutely certain he was hiding something important from her.

* * *

Walking down the dim corridor, Squall felt relaxed. The tenseness from earlier had completely dissipated. The rest of the evening had been nice, just the four of them hanging out and talking about old times. They all seemed to know him better than what he gave them credit for. Being around them wasn't a chore like he always ended up imagining. Looking over at Quistis walking next to him, Squall knew she only ever worried about what was best for him. She never meant any harm.

"Can we talk?" he asked, knowing now was probably as good a time as any to ask for her advice.

Looking over to meet Squall's gaze, Quistis looked relieved. "Of course, Squall."

As they continued down the empty hall, Squall remained silent. Growing more and more curious by the second, Quistis decided to further the conversation. "What do you want to talk about?"

Leading them towards the guest rooms, Squall just shrugged, not wanting to have the conversation out in the open. Once inside, he switched on the lights. Wincing at the brightness, he proceeded to turn all the lights off aside from the bedside lamp. Sitting down on the bed, the brunet shifted his travel bag to the floor. As the bed sagged next to him, he looked up to see Quistis' blue eyes studying him. _This could be a long night._ Looking away, he kicked off his boots and put his feet up on the bed. Leaning back against the wall he pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did everything have to be so complicated? He didn't even know what he wanted to ask Quistis. He didn't even know how he felt about what had happened. The spar with Seifer had been amazing. Their talk earlier had been okay.

For the first time since it had happened, Squall allowed himself to think back to the night he had found Seifer and what had subsequently taken place. He could feel it and see it all too vividly. Everything at once. Seifer mocking him, teasing him, taunting him. He could hear Seifer's voice. Smell Seifer. Taste him. Feel the anguish of being degraded. The thrill of being touched. The mind numbing pleasure of Seifer filling him. The physical relief of coming.

And regret. Regret that the experience was so tainted. That he couldn't look back on it in excitement without scolding himself for it. There was also anger. Anger at Seifer for demanding something so intimate of him. What made Squall even more frustrated was that he knew that he had enjoyed it on some level. Some twisted perverted, sick level. He also knew that he wanted it again. Needed it. And that annoying feeling irked him more than anything. He didn't **need** anything.

"What's wrong, Squall?" Quistis asked, sensing the inner turmoil of the brunet.

Unable to form any words as he was lost to the torrent of emotions running through him, Squall just closed his eyes to shut out all other input. Maybe repressing his emotions hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"Squall?" Quistis asked, edging on nervousness. Something was definitely up.

And then, all of a sudden the tenseness disappeared as Squall's thoughts returned to the day he and Seifer had spent sparring. It was like two disparate realities, unable to mesh in any comprehensible manner. Planning to deal with it by talking to Quistis had been a bad idea. Who was he kidding? It had been an emergency plan to bury the emotions, to handle them in the only way he knew; with mechanically detached perfection. Pragmatism was what he did best.

"It's nothing," he finally managed.

Raising an elegant eyebrow in disbelief, Quistis prompted Squall to continue. Of course the brunet was too lost in his own world to notice such a movement. "Is this what the 'I want some time alone with you' was all about?"

Temporarily torn from his internal monologue, Squall nodded. He had also wanted to see her, but he couldn't deny that his need to repress the experience with Seifer had been the main reason. Making the plan to deal with it when he saw her had meant so much to him at the time.

"What happened?" Quistis asked, concerned, hoping she could somehow get through to her friend. She knew he had trouble opening up, but she also knew if there was anyone he would open up to it'd be her.

As Squall once again allowed himself to think back to what had happened, he felt revolted at how he had enjoyed it and how excited it made him now just to think about it. Deriving pleasure from being dominated by an ex-rival sounded high on the scale of insanity to him. Even more so when including the fact that he had enjoyed the feeling of another man's penis inside him. He had never even considered something like it. It wasn't talked about. It wasn't normal. Two men were not meant to be together. Which begged the question why Seifer would stoop to such a level and degrade himself by doing it? Once again Squall's mind was spiraling out of control, thoughts of being even more of an outcast and deviant than what he had already accustomed himself to at the forefront of his mind. He was not gay. Although Seifer seemed to have come to that conclusion rather quickly.

"Do you think I'm gay?" the brunet finally managed to ask. Maybe his best friend would have some insight into his fractured psyche that he didn't possess himself.

A big, loud, resounding 'what?!' was all Quistis' mind seemed to supply that instant. That was not the question she had expected. Temporarily stunned, she was unable to answer. As gray-blue eyes turned to look at her, she knew she had to collect her thoughts. "I honestly have no clue. Because of your relationship with Rinoa I guess I thought you were heterosexual."

"Me too," Squall agreed, looking away.

Still slightly shocked by her friend's question, Quistis had a hard time working out the implications. So Squall was having doubts about his sexuality. Not unusual, though she would admit it seemed a bit out of the blue. And though she knew the stigmata that came with being gay she couldn't understand why it would get to Squall so much. He usually didn't care what others thought of him.

Knowing something must have happened to bring this on and wanting to get to the core of it, she repeated her earlier question. "What happened?"

Reluctant to tell her anything about what had transpired, the brunet let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"I had sex," he stated, voice void of emotion. "With a guy." It felt weird even saying it.

Once again Quistis' mind was racing, whilst she was trying hard not to let her surprise at his confession show. It was hard for her to conceal it; she really hadn't seen this coming. So many thoughts were running through her head, but she knew she had to temper them if she was to be any help to Squall.

"And I take it you enjoyed it?" she asked.

"Physically," was the only answer he offered, eyes still closed, not showing any emotion.

Frowning at the reply, Quistis was perplexed by Squall's use of words. "And mentally?"

"It's complicated."

"Uncomplicate it."

"I can't."

Not sure what it was exactly that was getting to Squall or how she could even help him, Quistis remained quiet. How someone had managed to get Squall into bed was beyond her. Any scenario she could come up with seemed completely implausible.

"So what you're saying is that you enjoyed sex with this guy, but not with Rinoa and that's what's making you worry?"

Squall couldn't help but cringe at her words. Why did everyone assume he and Rinoa had had sex? Annoyed that he had to correct yet another person's assumptions about his sex life, he answered as succinctly as possible. "Rinoa and I never had sex."

Quistis held her breath, somewhat shocked. Even thought the couple had only been together for a short time, Quistis was under the impression they had been intimate. She was absolutely certain Rinoa had said something to that effect.

"I never really thought about it. Not with her or anyone else," Squall said, deciding he might as well trust Quistis with that much. She was the only one he trusted not to turn the information against him.

As Squall's words sunk in, Quistis couldn't help but wonder even more how the hell this guy had gotten Squall to have sex if the brunet never even thought about it. Or from the sound of it, had ever really wanted it.

"Must've been a special guy to make you want it," she commented, deciding to voice her thoughts.

Squall visibly winced at her words. Her statement was wrong on so many levels. Seeing his reaction, Quistis frowned in concern. "What?"

He couldn't reply. He wouldn't tell her what Seifer had asked of him. He didn't think he could actually explain it, even if he wanted to. He knew the line between statutory rape and consent had been razor thin. He was not kidding himself, there was no denying that fact. Anyone other than himself would see it as rape. But he knew it had been his own choice. If he had wanted it to stop at any point he could have stopped it. If anything, a better comparison would be to that of a whore. He had already received his payment in full.

Quistis looked on as Squall's eyes once again lost their focus, the younger man obviously lost in contemplation. She was worried. From what he had said and his current expression she wasn't certain the experience had been that great. But if it hadn't then why was Squall worried about being gay?

"What does it even matter if you're gay or not?" she asked, once again pulling him out of his trance. "No one will worry if you keep it quiet. It's not like it's anyone's business anyway."

"**I** want to know. I never even considered it," he answered, voice cold.

"Well, then..." Quistis said, trailing off, pondering the cause of his frustration. "Do you want to have sex with him again?"

"No," came the very quick reply. A much quieter 'yes' followed minutes later.

Bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, he cursed inwardly. "Maybe."

He felt lost. He didn't know what he felt. It was all way too confusing and beyond his comprehension.

"I don't even like him," he stated in exasperation, although he knew that wasn't really the truth. He knew that deep down he viewed the blond as in a class of his own. And whereas the blond was arrogant and annoying most of the time, Squall also saw lots of redeeming qualities in the blond.

"The way I see it... just see what happens. If you want to be with a guy be with a guy. If not, don't. Just don't stress over it," Quistis said, trying to stop Squall's thoughts from spiraling out of control. She hoped her words would sink in, but she couldn't help but feel that it was just like telling Squall to just smile and be happy; an exercise in futility.

Knowing it went much deeper than that and that he needed to resolve his conflicting emotions, Squall just shrugged in reply. There really was no way he could share with her what had really transpired.

As the quiet dragged on, Quistis went back over their conversation. She really didn't know what she could say to help her friend. The way she saw it, gay or not, it didn't matter. Thinking back further a light bulb suddenly flicked on in her mind.

"He was the one who phoned you," she stated in realization.

When the brunet didn't reply but stayed quiet, she continued. "What did he want?"

Leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, the brunet replied. "Nothing."

"You were gone for quite a while. It can't have been nothing."

Raking a hand through his hair in annoyance at Quistis' persistence he shrugged before replying. "He wants to meet up."

Quistis couldn't help but smile at the thought of Squall becoming intimate with someone. It seemed quite surreal, but then again maybe it was just what Squall needed.

Spotting the smile on Quistis' lips, Squall frowned. _It's not what you think. He did it to degrade me. And I'm fucked up for wanting him to do it again._

"Are you going to?"

"Yeah."

"Well... just don't worry about it. Just see what happens," she repeated, hoping the words would sink in at least on some basic level.

Dismissing her advice, Squall turned his head to the side, feeling a gaping hole growing inside him. The desperation he had felt almost half a year ago before he had set out to find Seifer was returning. He had found Seifer, but at the same time he had uncovered a most unsettling part of his psyche. There was no normal for him. If he was to have sex again he wouldn't want to woo some girl, he would want to be taken, he would want it rough. Oddly, the thing that turned him on the most when thinking back on that night was not what he had derived most pleasure from at the time. Instead it was what had disturbed him most. Thinking about Seifer forcing his penis into his mouth made an unfamiliar throb settle in his groin. Feeling his cheeks heat in humiliation, Squall needed Quistis to leave immediately.

"I need to take a shower," he said, quickly rising and turning his back to her.

"Okay," she replied, the word catching in her throat. She hadn't missed the dazed look to Squall's eyes as his eyelids had become heavier by the minute, nor his shallow breathing or the light pink tinging his cheeks. Obviously Squall's thoughts had been far from pure. Raising herself up from the bed, she definitely didn't want to think about why he was in such a hurry to have a shower.

"See you tomorrow!" she called to the already closed bathroom door.

Inside the bathroom Squall was already undressing quietly. He felt somewhat bad for having made Quistis leave like that, but there had been no other choice. Staring down at his arousal, he cursed himself. Getting into the shower he turned the knob as far in the direction of the blue indicator as possible.

As the freezing water hit his body, he started shivering uncontrollably. His skin felt almost feverish as the drops of icy water dug into his skin like a thousand needles. Inhaling deeply, he focused on clearing his mind. It didn't take long before the insistent throb he had felt earlier began abating. Crisis averted, he turned the knob on the shower to a more survivable level. As the shivering subsided he turned off the shower and got out. Once dry he walked back into the guest room and located his bag. Getting out a pair of comfortable drawstring pants, he readied himself for bed.

With the lights turned off, the brunet lay in his bed, focusing all thought on the sole task of falling asleep. He quickly realized it was a lost cause. All he could think of was whether or not the blond had derived any pleasure at all from what he had done. Even through alcohol tinted glasses it seemed like Seifer had derived pleasure from it. Why else would he have done it? But then why would he derive pleasure from something like that? Squall couldn't imagine any sane person taking pleasure in forcing himself upon another man. Sodomy was a perverted deviancy, why would the blond lower himself to that?

But then again, it had been Squall's humiliation Seifer had wanted, and Squall definitely felt humiliated because of the immense pleasure he had derived from the act. It just didn't make sense that Seifer had known Squall would react like that.

Unable to answer all the questions that kept making their way to the forefront of his mind, the brunet decided he might as well just take the bull by the horns and deal with the problem directly. He was a grown man after all. Grabbing his phone from where he had placed it earlier, Squall returned to the bed.

_'You up?'_ he typed and hit send before he could reconsider.

It wasn't a minute before electric blue lit up the room, the screen on his mobile displaying Seifer's reply.

_'I am now. Thanks, fucker.'  
_  
_'Whatever,'_ Squall wrote back, already annoyed at the blond.

This time it took a bit longer before he received a reply. _'Not helping your case. What do you want?'_

What **did** he want? Out of all the questions making his head spin, he had to chose one.

_'Did you enjoy fucking me?' _he wrote, not wanting to imply anything by the question. He just wanted to know the truth.

When his phone started buzzing insistently in his hand his stomach twisted. He didn't want to talk to Seifer, talking would make it all too real; he just wanted answers. He didn't breathe again until his mobile stopped buzzing. Taking in a deep breath, he wondered why the blond had decided to phone instead of write, but he was quickly interrupted as the phone once again lit up.

_'Are you kidding me?' _was the only reply.

_'No,'_ Squall wrote back in irritation.

It didn't take long before the next message came through. _'Yes. See that's the thing about sex, it's usually quite enjoyable.'_

Squall scrunched his eyebrows in contemplation. Seifer was saying it had been pleasurable because it had been sex; not because he had been humiliating Squall.

_'Why did you do it?'_ he wrote back.

_'You were there. I was horny,'_ came the simple reply. Why was everything always so simple to Seifer?

After a couple of minutes, another message showed up on Squall's mobile.

_'What difference does it make?'_

_'None,'_ Squall replied quickly, not caring if what he wrote was a lie. He wasn't about to divulge any of his thoughts on the matter.

_'Then why the fuck are you asking?'_

Contemplating how to answer the blond, Squall stalled. He didn't want to tell him. He didn't want to write that it mattered because he wanted to know how sick Seifer was or because he himself had a sick, sick urge for Seifer to dominate him again. Instead of answering the blond directly, he settled on a different approach. _'Do you think about it?' _

Fed up with Squall's questions and lack of answers to his own questions, Seifer decided to throw the question right back at him. _'Do you?'_

Squall glared at his phone as he read the message. _Annoying son of a.._. For a while he couldn't figure out how to reply.

_'Not really,'_ he finally settled on. Then a minute or two later he changed his mind and decided to be completely honest. _'I did tonight.'_

Almost instantaneously his screen lit up again. _'Did it make you hard?'_

Having already given too much away, Squall's apathy was escalating rapidly. What did their conversation matter in the scheme of things, anyway?

_'Yes.'_

_'Touch yourself,' _was the immediate demand.

Reading the message again, Squall felt the annoying throb from earlier return. _Fuck. _Reluctantly he eased his cold fingers under the soft cotton of his pants and closed them around his hard length. The first stroke was the worst. He couldn't stop thinking about the blond, about his expression when he had first slipped his finger inside Squall and at the same time Squall's mind was wracked with guilt. The next stroke was easier, the nauseating feeling of doing something wrong dissipating as he allowed himself to remember the pleasure that had coursed through him each time Seifer had thrust into him.

Registering a faint buzz in his left hand, gray-blue eyes opened to read another message.

_'I could fuck you right now. Just thinking about your scrawny ass is making me hard.'_

And somehow those words made it all wrong. It wasn't right. There was no way in the world that Seifer wanting to fuck him was even remotely close to something resembling sanity. Fully fledged psychosis sounded much more likely. Even worse was his own body's traitorous wants. What sick mind would find pleasure in being fucked and dominated by a person that had tortured him? Seifer might have been mind controlled at the time, but was Squall really capable of looking beyond that? Or was this the fulfillment of some twisted fantasy that had long laid dormant? Sickened by his thoughts, Squall went limp.

_'Stop,'_ he wrote back, not wanting it to go any further. Sparring was what was meant to happen between them. They were meant to balance each other out in battle and force each other to work harder on their skills. Nothing else. Anything more was twisted and wrong.

_'Why? Little Squally not rising to the challenge?' _Seifer wrote back, annoyed.

Deciding there was nothing he could do to change the blond's mood Squall refrained from replying. They would still have their spars. They had agreed on that earlier. For long moments the room was all too quiet, the air suffocating and rancid. It didn't help as his mobile relayed another message.

_'Fuck you too.'_

Holding down the 'off' button, Squall knew when enough was enough. If he answered he'd only antagonize the blond further. He would have to fix it some other time. First he had to deal with his own fractured psyche. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he willed it all to go away. Why did he have to go and mess up their fragile equilibrium? Sparring was all he needed. It meant everything to him, so why the fuck had he risked it? And it scared him that it sounded very likely that Seifer wouldn't mind a repeat performance. Then again the blond might just be goading him on; collection more material to taunt him with.

Maybe what he needed to do was to even out the playing field. Do what Seifer had done. Dominate Seifer. Maybe then they could put all of this behind them.

* * *

**A/N**: Hope you all liked the chapter. Thanks so much for the lovely reviews! Sorry about the longer time it took for me too update this time around - hope the length of the chapter makes up for it. Uni has kicked off now though, so it'll probably start being longer between installments. Feedback always encourages me to write more though *hint* *hint* ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning:** Do not read if you're not legally allowed to read NC-17 stuff where you live.

Dedicated to Baby Chiba and Wolkje for their unending support and inspiring works.

Chapter 6

The moon and the gentle blue glow emanating from Lion Heart provided the only illumination as the dark haired man slowly made his way further into the forest, each step taken in careful consideration. There was no doubt in his mind that the beast was still near. Adjusting his hold on the hilt of his gunblade, Squall focused all thought on listening out for nearby movement. Behind him, he could hear the light trickle of blood as the crimson liquid slowly dripped from the blue dragon, coloring the pristine snow beneath. The brunet's heart rate picked up as he trained his eyes on the track leading him further away from the small clearing. There were too many hiding places. He was too exposed.

Around him, the forest was dead silent, a fact he attributed to the animals inhabiting it most likely still being asleep in warm shelters. The cold air was stinging his ears and he could feel ice crystals forming on his eyelashes and lips. He thought he had come prepared, that he had become used to the extreme cold of Trabia mornings, but maybe he had been a bit too eager this morning. But he had needed it; needed to get out to empty his mind.

Behind him, Squall barely made out the sound of snow being crunched as something moved closer. Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned around slowly, soundlessly, before staring straight into bright cobalt eyes. Barely registering the movement before it was happening, the brunet only managed to bring up his arms in protection before he was forcefully thrown onto the frozen ground. On instinct his lips moved rapidly to call upon the surrounding nature.

Howling in pain, the creature above him jumped off and started rolling around in the surrounding snow, desperately trying to quench the burning fire searing its skin.

Jumping to his feet, Squall looked at the bellowing animal, surprise clear in his eyes; it was only an overgrown pup. Perhaps he had overestimated his ability to stay on top of his game and keep his mind focused. Holding out Lion Heart, ready to strike if the beast decided to change its focus, Squall started chanting the words of cura. When the baby behemot was once again covered in white downy fur, a small smile grazed pale lips for the briefest of seconds as the brunet noted the length of the blue horns. The pup could not have been more than six months old. Frowning, he realized it didn't solve the puzzle. Even though a baby behemot was quite lethal, he was certain it could not take down a grown blue dragon. Deciding the morning was still young, the brunet softly whispered the words of 'sleep' before leaving the slumbering pup behind.

* * *

Sitting on the examination table in the barren room, Squall felt colder than he had outside. And he was pissed.

"How did you do this again?" the blue haired girl asked, eyes warm but tone somewhat reprimanding as she examined his left arm.

Not in a mood to explain himself, Squall just scowled at her in response. It was not definitely not his day. And it wasn't even eight yet.

"Only one night here and you already managed this. I must say, I'm impressed," the young medic went on, seemingly not intimidated by the fact that the SeeD Commander was most likely wishing death upon her that very moment.

"Just fix it," he said tersely, eyeing her in annoyance. "And like I said, no magic."

"Fine," she agreed, appearing unconcerned. "It's not often I get to play with injuries anymore. It's always magic around here."

Disinterested in what the girl had to say, the brunet instead thought back to earlier that morning. Cursing inwardly at himself for having lost the beast, he clenched his hands. How had the monster gotten away? One moment he had been fighting, the next he had been thrown roughly through the air before landing heavily against a tree. He had managed to keep his eyes on the massive beast as he had been flung through the air, but his eyes had shut reflexively in pain when his body had made impact with the hard wooden trunk. When he had once again managed to focus on the best in front of him, only a few patches of dark blue fur had been hanging oddly in the air, strangely disconnected from each other. The last thing to disappear had been a glowing red fang.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, the brunet scolded himself.

"You know, Selphie told me to be expecting you," the medic commented, indifferent to the Commander's lack of participation in the conversation. The brunet winced almost imperceptibly when she popped his shoulder back in place.

"Since you won't let me cure it I'm going to have to have a couple of x-rays done. From the initial tests it seems nervous and vascular function is intact. However, I'm going to give you a sling and advise you to wear it for at least a week -- unless, of course, something unexpected shows up on the x-rays."

Fixing the medic with an impatient glare, the brunet conveyed his reluctance to comply. The girl couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly at the stubborn man. "Okay. I'm guessing you probably won't wear it at all..." She paused briefly. "At least do me the courtesy of pretending. Wear it out of here."

Writing down the details of her findings, she continued speaking. "You've gotta take it easy on any strenuous activities as well."

Slightly worried by his lack of cooperation and lack of concern for his own well being, the girl resorted to something she would refrain from under normal circumstances. Walking into an adjoining room, she quickly mixed some lotion with a mild potion before picking up the sling. Returning to the Commander she rubbed the cream on his shoulder and ribs, hoping he wouldn't detect the diminishing pain before he was well out of the infirmary.

"That should do it. Let's go do the x-rays."

* * *

Making his way to the refectory, Squall threw the sling into the nearest bin. It wasn't even like his shoulder was hurting. Especially not if he just kept his arm still. And he didn't need a sling to do that. After scolding himself for his embarrassing failure that morning once again, he wondered if the others would still be at the refectory or if he was too late. As he entered the large room mostly empty of students by then, he easily spotted his three comrades.

"Morning," he muttered as he moved to sit down, sounding less than enthusiastic to have found them.

"Found the monster yet?" Selphie inquired, eyes dancing, ignoring the brunet's sour tone.

"It's a hellhound," the brunet informed impassively. "Where's the coffee?"

Sensing the Commander's foul mood, Irvine thought it best to let the man have his coffee before further questioning and gestured in the direction of a nearby coffee machine. "Over there."

Returning with a cup of steaming liquid, Squall sat down. "It has the ability to turn invisible. It's somehow able to control the light particles in its environment. You were wrong Quistis, it wasn't just a rumor. It has some kind of stealth ability."

The blonde raised an eyebrow in scrutiny. "So you didn't kill it?" she countered.

"No," the brunet admitted, voice hard. He hated unsuccessful battles. But it wasn't over. Next time he would bring infrared goggles and rid the forest of the latest addition to the wildlife for good.

"Well, maybe we can catch it off guard when we go flying today," Selphie offered.

"No," the brunet demanded harshly. "I want to take it down myself."

Quistis sighed audibly, not masking her frustration.

"Didn't Melly tell you to take it easy for a while?" the petite brunette asked, indirectly stating that she already knew all about Squall's injuries.

The Commander's eyes narrowed at the information, but he refrained from voicing his irritation.

Quistis couldn't help but roll her eyes. Why did her friend have to be so stubborn?

As the others began discussing the merits of Garden's latest plan of lowering the age of admittance by one year, Squall zoned out. Garden policies had never interested him and even if they had there was nothing he could do about it. For long minutes he just sat there, slowly sipping his coffee, enjoying the almost scolding feeling of the hot liquid against his lips. Letting his eyes travel over the surface of the dark liquid, he finally looked up and at the sight before him, he went rigid.

Noticing Squall's reaction, Selphie follow his gaze. "There he is!" she whispered excitedly, pulling at Quistis' sleeve to grab her attention. "Doesn't he look just like him?"

Close by, a tall blond was standing wearing a SeeD uniform and for the life of him, Squall swore it was the idiot blond that had been causing him nothing but grief recently.

"Zhang," Irvine yelled at the tall blond who turned around in acknowledgment. As gray-blue eyes landed on the stranger's face, the illusion was ruined. The two men looked nothing alike. Tensing at his momentary lapse in composure, Squall lowered his gaze to the black liquid in front of him.

"Oh my goodness, for a second there I thought it **was** him," Quistis spoke under her breath, eyes still on the tall man.

"I told you!" Selphie exclaimed.

As the man walked over to greet them, Selphie continued her incessant chattering. "Not that I know what Seifer looks like all that well. Only really from the times we fought him. Shame though. Zhang gets into all kinds of trouble just for looking like him."

"Hey man," Irvine greeted when the tall blond finally reached them. "Commander Leonheart," he said, tilting his head in the direction of the brunet.

"Nice to meet you," the blond said with an easy smile, looking at the Commander. Squall just nodded in return.

"So, did you take a look at the bike?" Irvine inquired.

"Yeah. Just need to change some parts and it should be much more durable in the cold. I'll try and get it done today." The blond looked at the Commander. "You don't need to use your bike today, do you Sir?"

Narrowing his eyes at the use of the honorific, Squall replied curtly. "No."

Sensing the Commander's discomfort at his presence, the blond excused himself.

"See you later," Irvine called after his friend.

As soon as the man was out of earshot Quistis couldn't keep her thoughts to herself any more. "Freaky. I can't believe how much they look alike, she said, pausing. "Apart from the SeeD uniform that is," she added snidely.

Squall ground his teeth. "They don't," he said, voice bitter.

"I guess you would know better," she conceded, mistaking his cold demeanor for resentment towards the ex-knight.

"Whatever," he added, dismissing the conversation.

To avoid further annoying the brunet, Quistis resorted to rolling her eyes inwardly at the younger man.

"Such a bummer that the tip I got from Jun didn't get you anywhere," Selphie said, resting her warm gaze on Squall.

Stiffening under her gaze, Squall was trying hard to stay impassive. There was no way he could react without either lying through his teeth or exposing the growing number of skeletons in his closet.

The warm brown eyes of the petite girl turned to focus on mid distance, obviously not catching on to her friend's growing unease. "I hope he isn't stuck in time compression still," she sighed.

"Me too," Quistis agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly.

"Jun was so certain it had been Seifer though. I mean, the guy used to be in the same class as you two," she said eyeing up Squall. "So he would know, right?" She paused. "You really didn't find anything to back up Jun's sighting?"

"No," Squall replied, quelling the bitter aftertaste the lie left behind. "Do you have a room with video conferencing?" he asked, wanting to change the conversation around. "I have some business I need to take care of."

"Sure," Selphie replied. "We have a special communication room for SeeDs. I'll take you there straight after you've had some breakfast."

* * *

"Alright! All set," the bouncy girl said with a big smile as the screen in front of them displayed the Estharian presidential logo. "I'll be with Quistis in 14.3. We've been developing some new explosives that I'd like her opinion on. Yours too, if you have time after this."

When a presidential aide appeared on the screen, the brunette silently let herself out of the small room, waving goodbye before closing the door behind her.

"Commander Leonhart, President Loire will be ready shortly," the aide informed impassively, before the screen returned to show the same logo as before, bland background music sounding from the speakers. Minutes later the logo disappeared and instead the genial President appeared on the screen.

"Squall," he exclaimed, obviously overjoyed to lay eyes on his son. As the older man calmed down from the initial excitement at finally seeing his son, his heart became heavy as he noted the fatigued look to his son's eyes. They only ever spoke over the phone and it had been over half a year since Squall had last visited. It seemed Squall had been through a lot since then.

"How are you?" Laguna asked, not expecting a proper answer, but knowing he would regret it if he didn't at least try to get some answers.

"Fine," Squall replied, no emotion showing on his features. "Laguna, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," he lied. He had never been comfortable speaking with the older man for lengths at a time. Especially not whilst those piercing eyes were studying him, no doubt judging him. He really couldn't explain what it was that had made him ask for a visual feed this time. "I need a favor."

The warmhearted man could not help but frown. Finally he was able to see his son and now it would seem it would be over in the blink of an eye. But he wouldn't complain or ask for more than Squall decided to give. If there was one thing he had learnt about his son, it was that the man was stubborn and succinct and trying to change that would only cause conflict. No, Laguna would only take what his son offered. "Of course, son. What do you need?" he asked, noticing the younger man's gaze landing on his own at the use of the affectionate term.

"I need copies of some documents. They're in my room."

At the use of the words 'my room' the President's expression changed dramatically. It warmed his heart to know there was a place in his house that Squall would consider his. "Of course, Squall."

"They're in the top drawer of my desk. The one on the right," the brunet continued, not noticing the rapid changes in the older man's expression. "The paper is old, so be careful. The pages I'm looking for has Cataclysm written at the top. There should be twelve in total."

"No problem, I'll get someone to look into it immediately," Laguna replied, noting down the details of his son's request.

Squall furrowed his brows, obviously contemplating something. Hesitantly he voiced his concern."I... would you mind doing it?"

Obviously the request meant a great deal to his son. "Okay. I'll do it as soon as possible. I'll make sure to fit it in today."

"Thanks," the brunet said, nodding in gratitude.

"Do you need anything else?" his father asked.

"No."

Not ready to let his son go, not knowing how long it would be until he would get to see his face again, Laguna continued on. "Squall... I... will you be dropping by soon?"

"Yes," Squall replied firmly, which in return made Laguna smile widely at his son. Whenever his son said something with that kind of conviction there was no doubt in Laguna's mind that it would happen.

"That's great news. I can't wait. Do you know when you'll be coming?"

"Probably a month or two from now."

"I'll make sure to have your room ready. Let me know when you know more so I can arrange for some time off," Laguna said, already making plans for all the things he wanted to show his son.

"You know I don't like that," Squall said, eyes narrowing slightly. He hated it when people made a fuss. And he really didn't like the thought of having to spend most waking hours whilst in Esthar with his dad.

For an instant the older man looked like a wounded puppy, hurt by his son's blunt words. He knew he should have kept that last comment to himself. He still couldn't contain his happiness at the upcoming visit though. Regardless of what his son wanted, he was going to spend as much time with the boy as possible.

"If you can just send the data to my mobile that'd be great."

"Sure, Squall," he said, deep down wanting to say son instead. It was what came natural to him by now, but for his son's sake he tried to keep it to a minimum.

"I have to go."

Instead of fighting it, Laguna enjoyed the last seconds of their conversation.

"Take care," he said, smiling softly.

"I will," the brunet replied before the connection went dead.

* * *

It was boring. Just plain boring.

Seifer had been out all morning practicing with Hyperion, but his heart just hadn't been in it. Since his conversation with Squall the night before it seemed like time had slowed down, minutes feeling like hours. Now that he knew they would be sparring again, he couldn't wait.

_Fuck it, I've never been very patient.  
_

He couldn't even remember what he had done to fill his time before. Seemed like his brain had turned into an empty wasteland when it wasn't concerned with the brunet. And he fucking hated every minute of it. It didn't help that the guy had been teasing him last night. Asked questions and led him on... only to go cold on his ass.

As he remembered the last messages he had sent to Squall he grimaced. Okay, so maybe he hadn't been all that delicate about it. But why had Squall texted him in the first place? Had Squall wanted him? Was that what the brunet had been trying to convey?

At the thought of prim little Squally-boy lusting for his cock, Seifer couldn't help but smirk mischievously and chuckle softly to himself. That would certainly get the brunet's knickers in a twist.

Staring at the ground, Seifer knew he had to get away. Hopefully there was a job waiting for him somewhere. He definitely needed distraction and however much he wanted to tease the truth out of the brunet, he knew it would probably be wiser to let the younger man call the shots for now. He just hoped he could contain himself if Squall decided to push him like last night.

Getting up from the large rock he had been resting on, he headed back to his house, mind made up to pick up necessities before heading into town to meet up with his contacts. Surely there was something out there he could waste his time hunting for the next couple of weeks.

* * *

Squall's eyes narrowed as he aimed the rifle at the target. Just as he was about to shoot, he felt his phone vibrate and quickly signaled to Irvine that he would be heading out of the shooting range.

Opened the mobile whilst yelling 'hold on', he tried drowning out the loud shots ringing out in the background. As the soundproof door slid shut behind him, he exhaled deeply. He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk with Seifer just yet.

"Squall," he heard his father speak softly.

"Loire," Squall replied, unable to hide his surprise. As he realized how he had addressed the older man, he winced inwardly.

For a moment both men were silent. On one end, Laguna was stunned by his son's greeting and thus momentarily forgot the purpose of his call. On the other end, Squall was silently seething that he actually felt disappointment that it wasn't the idiot blond calling him.

Finally remembering why he had called in the first place, Laguna hesitated somewhat before voicing his concern. "I have to ask... what do you need the information for?" He paused briefly. "Why do you need another blade?"

"I want a change now and again," was Squall's immediate reply, surprised how easy the lie slipped off his lips.

"But you know they need special licensing," his father went on.

"Send me the documents and I'll fill them in."

Again the older man went silent. He clearly didn't approve of his son's recent plans. "How will you get the auranite?"

Unable to help himself, Squall sighed. He hated it when his dad worried about him. If there had been any way he could have gotten the information without involving his dad he would have. Somehow he had hoped his dad wouldn't have looked too closely at the documents he had asked for.

"Don't worry. I'll be careful," he assured his dad, voice uncharacteristically soft.

"I know you won't like hearing this... but... you are my son. It would kill me if something happened to you," Laguna pleaded, even more worried after Squall had tried to calm him. "Please be careful. Promise me you won't go alone."

"I wasn't planning on."

"Tell me when you have the ingredients... I won't get a proper night's sleep till I know it's over."

"I will," Squall said and hung up. Moving fingers to massage the bridge of his nose, the brunet tried relieving his distress. He absolutely hated his dad worrying about him. But there was nothing to do about it. He would just have to secure the materials as soon as possible so the old man could stop worrying again.

Breathing in deeply, the Commander once again cleared his mind and reentered the shooting range. He had never been the best shot and after having witnessed Seifer's skill with a rifle he knew he had to improve. He couldn't stand the blond outdoing him.

* * *

"See you tomorrow!" Selphie said, giving Squall and Quistis a hug before leaving.

As Selphie and Irvine retreated for the night, Squall looked up at the stars once more. Selphie had been right to show them her favorite spot for stargazing. The quad was perfect for it. Only a thin sheet of glass separated him form the stars.

"You wanna stay?" Quistis asked, looking at the brunet.

Without lowering his gaze, Squall replied. "Yeah."

The two of them sat in silence, enjoying each other's company, not feeling the need to say anything.

Feeling the by now familiar buzz of his phone against his thigh, Squall frowned. Getting out his phone he read the message.

_'What are you up to?'_

_'Get lost,' _he wrote back, annoyed at the blond's persistence. It was the fifth message from the blond that evening. And that was even after Squall had ignored two calls.

Looking over his shoulder, Quistis smiled in amusement at reading the brunet's reply._  
_

"I'm guessing it has been him texting you all night?"

Narrowing his eyes as he reread one of the earlier messages, Squall nodded.

"Can't go long without your attention, huh?"

Straining his jaws, Squall put the phone back in his pocket, seriously considering his own sanity. Who in their right mind would give their number to such an obstinate idiot?

"I think I'm going to head back," Quistis said, getting up from where she had been sitting next to Squall. "You coming too?"

Briefly eyeing the blonde, Squall shook his head. He wanted to stay and enjoy the quiet. The quad was large, and there was no one else around. And it was beautiful there, serene.

"Okay. Well, see you tomorrow then."

Watching the blonde leave, Squall leaned back against the grass below. They really had gone all out with the reconstruction of Trabia Garden, making a small garden with tall trees inside the quad.

During the day, Squall had successfully managed to stay distracted and kept his mind of what had happened between himself and Seifer the previous night. But now, when all was quiet around him and there was nothing but him and the stars, he couldn't keep the confusing thoughts at bay any longer. One thought in particular kept grating at him. Seifer had seemed interested. Or pretended to at least. But he had seemed truthful. And if he hadn't been truthful then why had he blown up like that after Squall had refused to go any further? But so what if Seifer wanted to fuck him again? Did it really make any difference? The way his head started spinning at the thought seemed to indicate that it did indeed make a difference, but he didn't want to examine why. The excitement he had felt each time his phone had stirred that day had also indicated that despite how much he claimed it was irritating and annoying another part of him was enjoying the blond's incessant vying for his attention.

And there was one thing he wanted to know, one thing he couldn't get off his mind. Maybe it was because he couldn't believe it and now as facts were towering before him, he couldn't help but wonder if he had always been wrong. Knowing he had no way of answering himself, Squall got his phone out in determination and started typing.

_'Are you gay?'_ he wrote, wanting the truth.

_'Another night of questions, is it?' _came the reply shortly after.

Just as the brunet was reading the message, his phone started buzzing in his hand. Staring at the phone in contempt, Squall waited for the vibrations to die down. Before he could finish his reply, another message appeared.

_'What's with the no talking policy?'_

Temporarily distracted from his original purpose of contacting the blond, Squall deflected the question with another question of his own.

_'What did you want earlier?' _he wrote.

When the phone started vibrating again, Squall almost threw it across the quad in annoyance. Irritated that the phone wasn't spontaneously combusting at the glare he was sending it, Squall lay back down on the grass. And yet he couldn't suppress his curiosity when he received another message.

_'Would you pick up already?'_

_'No.'  
_  
_'Annoying prick.'_

When his phone remained silent, Squall thought that was probably the end of their conversation that night. It was probably for the best anyway. It wasn't like he cared. Even so, he almost picked up when his phone started buzzing insistently in his hand minutes later. Three unanswered calls later, the brunet's patience was starting to wear thin. As the buzzing started once more, Squall accepted the call and brought the phone to his ear.

"I've got a job," the blond spoke at the other end of the line, knowing there was no need for introductions.

'Congratulations', Squall thought derisively. He was so annoyed with himself for relenting to the blond and answering the call in the first place, that he couldn't help but feel great animosity towards anything that was currently leaving the blond's mouth. He couldn't care less about what the blond had to say.

"It clashes with our plans. I should be back on the eight. Can you make it then?"

Quickly calculating the dates in his head, Squall suddenly did care. It was going to postpone their spar by half a week. Mood infinitely soured, Squall reluctantly agreed. "Yes."

"Good," the blond said, sounding relieved. "Maybe we should make it the ninth. It might be quite late before I'm back on the eight."

"Okay," was all Squall said, not offering any pleasantries. As he remained quiet, the silence stretched on, until the blond finally broke it, answering the brunet's initial question.

"I'm bi."

When the brunet didn't react, Seifer continued on. "Don't care about the package as long as it satisfies me."

Squall couldn't help but snort at the blond's answer. It was so typical.

Ignoring Squall's reaction, Seifer kept quiet for a while. Not wanting their conversation to end, the blond decided to try his best at small talk.

"So... how's Trabia Garden?" he asked, his voice not as calm as he would have liked. He still felt horrible about some of the things Ultimecia had made him do. The loss of the innocent lives at Trabia Garden was one of them.

Picking up on the underlying apprehension in the blond's voice, Squall felt his brows knit. He didn't want Seifer to feel responsible for what had happened during the war. And yet, Squall could understand all too well. Many lives had been lost and if their positions had been reversed he was certain he would be feeling exactly the same.

"Esthar is going overboard," he said, deciding to indulge the blond for now. "Laguna can't help it. It's starting to look more like a palace than training grounds."

"Laguna?" Seifer asked playfully. "How did the loon manage to get on a first name basis?"

"By being annoyingly persistent."

Unable to help himself, the blond chuckled in response. "An admirable trait."

"Do you see him often?" he asked, becoming serious once more.

"No," Squall replied, pausing. It had been many months since he had last seen Laguna in person. After the war the man had been adamant about wanting to become a part of Squall's life. He had tried to come visit as often as possible, but being the President of Esthar, it hadn't amounted to many times. Instead he had begun pleading Squall to come visit him in Esthar. Against his better judgment, Squall had relented and stayed at Laguna's country estate every once in a while.

"He calls me his son," Squall spoke softly, more to himself than Seifer. It still seemed far too surreal for him to grasp the true meaning of the connection between himself and Laguna.

"You are," Seifer replied softly, understanding the depth of Squall's statement. Being an orphan himself, parental relations seemed as diffuse and abstract as love and comfort.

Staring up into the night sky, Squall felt strangely comforted at the connection between himself and Seifer. For once Seifer wasn't judging him or taunting him, just talking to him, extending to him a friendship that went further back then either of them cared to admit. And for an instant he missed the blond. He wanted to see the other man's face and decipher the true meaning behind the man's words. Confused by the path his thoughts was taking, Squall decided it was time to turn them back around.

"How much does the job pay?" he asked.

"200.000 gil."

Opening his mouth in shock, Squall was outraged at the preposterous amount. That was more than half a year's worth of rank A pay for SeeDs.

"For a solo job?" the brunet queried in indignation.

"Yup," Seifer answered, unable to hide his amusement at Squall's reaction. "I'm just that good."

"How long are you gone for?" Squall asked. What he really wanted to know though was what the mission entailed, but he was absolutely certain that the blond wouldn't be allowed to share that piece of information.

"Eight days."

When Squall didn't say anything further, the blond decided to try his luck. There was still something on his mind that he was very determined to get an answer to. "Who are you visiting?"

For the briefest of moments, Squall considered just serving Seifer his trademark 'none of your business' remark, but he found himself wishing for their conversation to stay amicable.

"Selphie and Irvine," he offered. "And Quistis."

Not recognizing the first two names, Seifer frowned.

At Seifer's silence, Squall took it upon himself to explain. "You know them," he said, voice low. "Nunchaku and the shooter," he added, subtly implying wherefrom the blond would know them.

Touching his rib absently, Seifer remembered the petite brunette and her well-aimed weapon.

"They're from the orphanage..." Squall continued, trailing off. He wasn't certain how much Seifer remembered. "Sefie and Irvy."

After a minute of silence, the blond decided making light of the situation. Thinking back on their shared childhood, a time before wars, sorceresses and fate intervened to shape them to who they had become, was too painful.

"Hyne, you were annoying back then," Seifer jested, the humor not reaching his voice.

"Compared to you?" Squall retorted almost instantaneously, which made the blond laugh softly.

Feeling pensive, the brunet continued. "They all wonder what happened to you."

The blond's reply was immediate, wondering out loud. "Why haven't you told them?"

Unable to answer, Squall decided to skirt the question. "Selphie was the one who got me onto your trail."

Annoyed at Squall for evading the question, Seifer almost decided not to reply but eventually relented. "I'll have to send her a thank you note," he said in a voice that left Squall wondering whether or not the blond had been sarcastic.

Neither of them said anything for a while and the silence stretched on. Wanting to continue talking to the younger man, Seifer racked his mind for something to say.

"How long are you staying there?" he finally asked.

"I'm returning to my mission tomorrow morning."

"Classified?"

"No," Squall said, knowing it wouldn't really matter if anyone knew what it was he was doing. "I'm making sure only Garden has access to draw points."

"Ouch," the blond replied, worried how it would impact his own access to magic.

Frowning, the brunet realized what the blond meant. He had known it wouldn't affect the blond in the slightest, but of course the blond didn't know that.

"Standard perimeters," he supplied, knowing the blond was more than proficient in disabling garden perimeters. After all, he had watched Seifer do it countless times when they had snuck out for spars.

"I'm indexing their locations as well."

"You wouldn't happen to know any ultima or aura points close by?" the blond asked, knowing he was running low. He wasn't really expecting the brunet to help him out though.

"I'll send you the coordinates," the brunette said, not thinking twice about supplying garden information to an ex-sorceress knight.

Surprised by the brunet's reply, it took the blond a couple of minutes to regain his composure.

"Guess I'll see you the eight then?"

"Ninth," the brunet corrected.

"What I said."

Neither of them wanting to end the conversation, they both remained on the line until Squall finally decided it was time to call it a night.

"Seifer?"

"Mhm?"

"The trade wasn't fair."

* * *

It was with great relief the brunet laid eyes on the cabin ahead. He had been searching the forest for over two hours. Apparently his memory of the cabin's location had been off by miles, and consequently he had ended up trekking much further than initially planned. Boots covered in mud and muscles aching from walking across sludgy ground, Squall stopped in his stride. The last half an hour had been the toughest, the sun setting and thus making it harder by the minute to make out his surroundings.

As gray-blue eyes darted quickly across the structure ahead, the brunet exhaled softly in relief. There were no lights visible through the windows. Everything was as it should be. He hadn't heard a single word from Seifer since the last time they had spoken, the night they had agreed on the date for their next spar. Squall was certain the blond had said he would be back on the eight and today was the seventh.

Walking up the porch, the brunet fished around for the metallic object in his pocket. Crouching down on one knee, he expertly disabled the lock on the front door. Closing the door behind him, Squall laid eyes on the mess of rifles and coats surrounding him. Even though he didn't feel bad about what he was doing, he did feel strange as he proceeded further into the house. It was cold, not nearly as inviting as the last time he had been there. Entering the large living room he quickly scanned the room. Everything was as he remembered, save a single cup standing on the kitchen counter, reminding Squall of the person normally inhabiting the house.

Freezing, the brunet decided his first priority was to get a fire going. Holding his hands over the bright flames, Squall felt warmth return to his fingers and with it his sense of belonging. The flickering golden light made the room feel homey and safe. Knowing it was getting increasingly difficult to see anything, the brunet set out to search the house for the circuit breaker. Easily locating it, Squall switched it on before returning to the living room. Fishing through his duffel bag, he grabbed some bread he had brought with him. Settling down on the couch, he let himself relax and enjoy the moment for what it was; the quiet before the storm.

Full and somewhat rested after his long trek through the forest, the brunet decided to go for an explore. When he had last been there and Seifer had been around, Squall hadn't felt comfortable letting his gaze linger too long on anything but mid distance, but now that he was alone, he let his eyes study his surroundings. The only items he had allowed himself to study before were the blades mounted on the wall and once again they were what drew his attention. Getting up to study them one by one, he noticed something different. Hanging further down on the wall than the others was a blade he didn't remember. An exquisite blade. Crouching before it, Squall let his eyes linger on the curves of the blade, tracing his fingers closely against the harsh edges, though never completely touching. For ages he stood there, lost in fascination as the light around the blade made the tip of his fingers disappear whenever he ran them close by. Flashes of red metallic reflections was the only way he could make out the actual edges of the blade. The blade was in a class of its own and he couldn't help but envy Seifer for owning it. Seifer definitely had good taste in his blades. And perseverance. Squall couldn't imagine locating a blade like that could have been an easy feat. Longing to touch it, the temptation of holding the blade in his hands was becoming unbearable. Forcing himself to turn away, Squall closed his eyes and walked away.

As the night grew late, Squall knew he could no longer avoid going upstairs. With heavy legs he made his way to Seifer's bedroom, needing to relieve himself. As he switched on the light in the bedroom, his eyes involuntarily landed on the bed. It was unmade and clothes were strewn onto the floor and nearby dresser. Gunblade polish was out in full view. Scanning the rest of the room, the brunet noted Hyperion's case missing.

Walking through the bedroom, memories assaulted Squall's senses. He could feel the bed against his knees, smell the duvet beneath him, hear his own moans. Quickening his stride, he made it inside the bathroom and closed the door securely behind him. He still wasn't able to deal with his emotions when it came to that night. After he had decided he would get back at Seifer, it had been all he had been able to focus on. And he had come prepared; had it all planned out. He wasn't going to do it in the bedroom. That would be too distracting. No, he had decided on something else entirely. Just thinking about it made his pulse rise and his throat go dry. It wouldn't be long.

After having readied himself for bed, the brunet headed back downstairs. As he walked through the bedroom, he kept his mind empty, not looking at anything but the top of the stairs. Once downstairs, he settled down on the couch for the night and got out his phone. He just needed one last piece of information.

_'I might be a bit early. When are you home tomorrow?' _he wrote.

When the phone still hadn't lit up in reply almost half an hour later, Squall added another batch of wood to the dwindling fire and got comfortable on the couch, snuggling up under a warm blanket. Drifting off, he felt cozy and warm.

Hours later, in the middle of the night, a familiar sound dragged the brunet out of his peaceful slumber and tired gray-blue eyes opened to focus on the bright blue of his phone. Grabbing the phone he read the reply.

_'Late afternoon. No spar tomorrow.' _

Yawning, Squall managed to type in a reply, fingers working on auto pilot.

_'Okay.'_

A ghost of a smile emerged as Squall had his answer. As the brunet was about to fall back into blissful oblivion, another message appeared.

_'Do you need me to pick you up anywhere?'_

Slightly surprised at the blond's offer, Squall took a minute before sending back a reply. _'No. I can find my own way.'_

High on being in control, Squall's mind began racing, the plan for the coming day running through his mind over and over, only interrupted shortly when another text appeared._ 'Good.'_

Taking enjoyment in the blond's cluelessness, the brunet fell asleep with a cold smile on his lips.

* * *

Perched on a branch, Squall sat in quiet contemplation. Dangling his legs back and forth, he was trying to keep the blood flowing despite the awkward pose. He had been waiting for over half an hour and he knew he could easily be waiting for much longer. The blond hadn't specified when exactly he would be back, so Squall had resigned himself to patience. He wouldn't have trusted the blond to have given him an accurate time estimate anyway.

Squall had gotten up early to spend the morning scouting, but it hadn't taken him long to locate a path between the trees that led to a clearing close by with tyre tracks. Confident he had found the right spot, the brunet had starting looking for a suitable place for him to wait out his prey. A tall tree midway between the clearing and the cabin had caught his eyes, easily climbable and well concealed.

As the minutes stretched on, the brunet became more fidgety and nervous, finding it increasingly difficult to stay still.

In the horizon, the sun was setting, casting the forest in early twilight. It had been over four hours now. But just as Squall was reconsidering the whole thing, he heard it; footsteps in the distance. Holding his breath, he clenched his hands around the branch beneath him. The loud pulse ringing in his ears made it difficult for him to make out the sound of the person walking below. Staying completely still, he managed to focus enough on the sound to locate it on the ground below. It was only a few feet away. For a split second Squall considered staying still and not following through, but backing down had never been in his nature. Calculating the distance and drop speed perfectly, the brunet pushed himself off the branch and landed heavily on the person below, throwing both of them against the ground, the blond taking most of the impact.

"What the...?" Seifer spat angrily, his whole body tensing in record time beneath the brunet. Pressing a dagger against the blond's neck, Squall unmasked his identity.

"Lie still," he hissed. "Hands where I can see them."

Gray-blue eyes narrowed as the muscles of the man beneath him relaxed. Obviously Seifer wasn't taking him seriously. Squeezing the blade harder against Seifer's neck, burly arms went out in acquiescence.

Keeping the blade in position, Squall used his free hand to grab at Seifer's trench coat, pulling it up over the blond's hips. A kick of adrenaline shot through him as he caught the subtle clenching of Seifer's hands when he hooked his gloved fingers under the blond's waistband. Proceeding to tug at Seifer's trousers, Squall pulled them down roughly, exposing the blond. Leaning in over the blond, Squall couldn't help but provoke him. "How does it feel now?" he challenged, voice cold, trying to egg the blond on. But the blond didn't take the bait, only tensed ever so slightly beneath him. Unsettled, the brunet began undoing his own trousers. He wasn't excited. He was high on adrenaline but he wasn't aroused. Frowning in irritation, he chastised himself. There was no way he could follow through on his plan if he couldn't even get hard.

"My turn," he breathed coldly, his voice not conveying the frustration he was feeling. As he remained soft, his irritation rose.

Beneath him the blond remained still; it was almost as if he was lying in wait. But then in one swift move, Seifer grabbed Squall's wrist, and twisted the dagger out of the younger man's grasp, throwing it forcefully into the underbrush. Quickly doing up his trousers whilst pushing himself off the ground, Seifer managed to shake off the brunet. A few feet away, Squall landed on his ass, bewilderment written all over his face. Eyeing the younger man's unfastened trousers, Seifer took determined steps towards the brunet before stopping to tower over him. Without warning he bent down to grasp roughly at Squall's shirt, pulling the younger man onto his feet. Pushing the brunet against the tree behind them, Seifer watched as gray-blue eyes looked up at him in barely concealed shock. Pale lips were parted and brown bangs hung messily against slightly flushed cheeks. There was no way in hell Seifer was going to hold back. It was the brunet's own fault for taunting him. Pressing his body against Squall's, Seifer whispered hotly into his ear. "I don't think so."

In one quick move, Seifer yanked down the brunet's trousers, revealing pale skin and the brunet's half erect cock. Holding his breath, Squall couldn't suppress the excitement rushing through him. Watching the blond's hungry eyes on him, he felt stripped bare emotionally and was overwhelmed with need. The need to feel. Hardening beneath the blond's gaze, Squall felt his mind run rampant, contradicting thoughts confusing him, immobilizing him. Unable to watch as the situation spiralled out of control he let his eyes slide shut.

Eyeing Squall's hard-on, Seifer smirked. The brunet wasn't even trying to fight him, hadn't even squirmed or tried to push him off. Moving his eyes from the tantalizing sight, Seifer stared at flush cheeks and closed lids instead. Placing his hands under the brunet's chin, Seifer gently tilted the smaller man's face upwards. "Turn around," he voiced in challenge, awaiting the brunet's response.

Opening his eyes, Squall's fierce gaze locked with Seifer's. He knew where they were headed. He knew he wasn't supposed to want it or even be turned on by it. Yet he was powerless to stop it. Relenting, he turned around in Seifer's hold and steadied himself against the tree before him, pushing out his hips, leaving himself vulnerable.

Running his hands up the sides of the brunet, lifting up the man's shirt, Seifer eyed Squall with unrestrained lust. Pale skin was glowing softly in the dim light and felt like hard silk against calloused fingers. Slim hips led to fleshy mounds, mounds that didn't stay untouched for long. Running his fingers slowly up the inside of Squall's thighs, Seifer roughly pulled the younger man's cheeks apart. He couldn't believe the brunet had given in so easily and that he was letting him do this. Kneading the brunet's firm buttocks, Seifer paused, storing away the image of the uncannily sultry fighter before him. Running a finger down the sensitive flesh between Squall's cheeks, stopping playfully at the younger man's entrance, Seifer felt Squall push back against the touch and grinned in satisfaction.

"My left pocket," Squall spoke, voice edgy. Seifer raised an eyebrow in question, before bending down to find out what Squall was talking about. Locating the pocket in question, Seifer found a small object hidden inside. Realizing exactly what it was, Seifer couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Had the brunet really thought he would have let him get that far?

Opening the small jar, Seifer coated himself and the brunet's entrance in the substance, the younger man arching his back each time Seifer pushed his finger against the sensitive flesh. Using a slick finger, Seifer pushed a finger inside, penetrating the brunet, and when Squall pushed back against him whilst stifling a moan, Seifer couldn't contain his impatience anymore. Retracting his finger, he nudged the brunet's legs further apart and pressed his rock hard erection against the brunet's entrance. Squall bit his lower lip, mind reeling in anticipation. He couldn't believe the annoying blond could make his body feel like that, his heart racing and body screaming for attention. It was so easy to let it happen.

Pressing his engorged head again the brunet's tight entrance, carnal hunger overtook the blond. Slowly forcing his thick length inside, he began chuckling silently in delirious stupor. It was too good. The smell of leather, sweat and his sex made him lose control. His mind hadn't exaggarated on just how amazing it felt to be inside the stoic man. Pushing in deeper, Seifer felt the brunet buckle slightly in front of him and heard him suck in air loudly. Pulling out almost fully before thrusting back inside, Seifer's eyes rolled back in ecstasy.

Both men were lost to the sensations running through them as the blond continued to ram into the man in front of him. Seifer hadn't been inside of Squall for much more than a couple of minutes when the brunet felt his balls tighten. Already, he was on the brink of breaking. Seconds later, the brunet's seed splattered across the tree in front of them. Coming down from his endorphin high, Squall grit his teeth in humiliation. Hearing the sound of Seifer sliding in and out, flesh slapping against flesh, Squall felt sickened. Behind him, Seifer was speeding up, biting his lower lip in concentration, pushing harder and further with each thrust. Hands placed one each side of the brunet's hips, Seifer thanked his lucky stars. Feeling close, he pushed out far enough to see his head press against Squall's entrance. The sight was enough to send him reeling over the edge. Sliding inside just as he came, Seifer spread the brunet's cheeks apart before pulling back out slightly, just enough to see his come spurt into the brunet, some pooling just outside the brunet's entrance before the blond pushed it back in.

"Fuck," he let out breathlessly as he bent forward to press his entire body against the brunet's, circling an arm around the younger man's waist as he rode out the last waves of his orgasm. Breathing in the scent of the brunet, he felt more content than he would ever admit. Staying inside, he let himself go soft before slowly pulling out.

When the blond moved away, Squall closed his eyes in mortification. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He hadn't come there just to be humiliated again. Yet it had taken little to no effort on the blond's part to make Squall follow the blond's every whim. Clenching his fingers against the tree, Squall felt anger fill him. Pushing away from the tree, Squall quickly drew his trousers back up, before turning to look at the blond. Glaring at the taller man, he took in Seifer's brazen smirk as green eyes studied him in return. 'Fuck you' his mind screamed as he wished he still had his dagger so he could remove the infuriating smirk.

Abruptly turning to leave, the brunet made his way towards the house, leaving the blond behind.

Falling into step several paces behind the brunet, Seifer couldn't contain his amusement. He would be pretty upset too if it didn't take more than having a cock rammed up his ass for less than a minute to come. Spotting lights in the distance, the amusement Seifer had felt seconds before was killed immediately.

_Fucking nerve_. He couldn't believe Squall had gone to his house uninvited. Cross, he stared at the brunet in anger and muttered his displeasure. "Fucking stalker."

Walking up onto the porch, Squall felt uncomfortable and irritable. He had no clue how to deal with the blond, let alone what had just happened and on top of that his trousers were killing him as they clung wetly against him. Making his way inside, he had but one destination in mind. Swiftly making his way upstairs, he sought refuge in the bathroom. Realizing there was no way of locking himself inside, he grimaced. Glaring at the door in anger he started undoing his trousers. Pulling them down to his knees, his mood didn't change in the slightest. His boxers were covered in the sticky white, evidence of what had just happened. The smell alone of Seifer's spunk made Squall want to retch. Balancing himself with one hand on the sink, he tried calming his mind by kneading the bridge of his nose. As he felt another trickle of hot liquid against the inside of his thigh, he wanted to scream and lash out at anything and everything. Focusing all his energy on staying composed, he steadily slowed his breath until he stopped breathing entirely. And then his head started spinning. The approaching unconsciousness not entirely unwelcome, the brunet toyed with the idea for long seconds before resuming breathing. He would never take a coward's way out.

Done cleaning himself, Squall sat back on the side of the bathtub, elbows leaning on his knees, head cradled in his hands. How had things gotten so far out of control? Closing his eyes in contemplation, his breath became shallow as he thought back. Remembering the feel of Seifer on him, pushing against him, he was horrified to feel his cock twitch in response. But for a while it had felt amazing, his whole body had been lost to the incredible sensation of building arousal. Remembering his orgasm, it didn't take long before Squall was once again fully hard, yet he was hating every minute of it. He didn't want to lust after his one time rival. He didn't want to be turned on by being subdued and fucked by someone who was an arrogant prick. Unable to vent his anger at anyone but himself, the brunet clenched his fingers viciously, digging deep against his skull. Anything to stop his body from feeling that traitorous need. Anything to make it go away.

Moving to the sink, he splashed cold water on his cheeks, before peering into gray-blue eyes that somehow managed to mask all of the emotional turmoil he was going through. Hating his reflection, Squall turned around to lean against the sink, deciding to outwait his predicament.

As he heard the door to the bathroom being opened, Squall didn't respond, instead he just focused harder on blocking out the world around him.

Taking in the sight of the brunet staring into mid distance, seemingly far away, Seifer narrowed his eyes. The brunet had disappeared quickly, retreating upstairs. Deciding to give the younger man some space, Seifer had remained downstairs, but as the minutes had dragged on, he had become increasingly impatient. Letting his eyes travel the younger man's form, they quickly landed on a prominent bulge. Walking over to stand before the brunet, he lowered his eyes to study gray-blues. After a minute of ignoring the blond, Squall slowly moved his eyes to glare at the blond. In the brunet's glare was blame, confusion, and distress.

Keeping his eyes locked with Squall's, Seifer slowly lowered his hands and took hold of the front of Squall's trousers. For a moment Squall stood transfixed and Seifer began working on Squall's trousers. Narrowing his eyes, Squall grabbed the larger man's wrists harshly.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Me. Again," he hissed out in anger, disgusted by the other man's audacity.

"No?" Seifer challenged, easily turning the grasp around so he was the one holding Squall's wrists in a tight grip. Twisting the brunet around in his arms, he pinned both of the smaller man's arms between them, enabling himself to free one of his own hands. As the brunet struggled to get out of the arm lock, Seifer moved his hand back to the front of the man's trousers. Pulling open the front, he grabbed Squall's erection and started stroking the smaller man roughly. "Seems to me like you're enjoying it."

Jerking violently against the blond in anger, Squall grit his teeth.

Feeling tiny beads of precome already coating his fingers, Seifer smirked in victory.

"What's this then?" he asked, bringing his hand up in front of Squall's eyes, moving it in the light to show the glistening substance.

Twisting against the blond, trying to get out of the larger man's hold, Squall eyed Seifer's hand in revulsion. Unfazed by the brunet's continued struggling, Seifer returned his hand to pumping the brunet.

Beginning to hyperventilate from the stress of being immobilized, Squall felt his body give in, strained muscles relaxing in the larger man's hold.

"Or maybe this isn't enough," Seifer said as he felt the brunet slackening in his hold. "Maybe you need a cock inside you?"

At the words Squall fought back once more, almost succeeding in pushing the blond back against cold tiles. There was no way he would ever allow the blond to fuck him again. If Seifer as much as tried, Squall swore to himself that he wouldn't feel any remorse for ridding the world of the man.

Incensed, Seifer turned them both around to face the mirror, wanting to show Squall just how well Squall's body was responding. As green eyes landed on gray-blues, the blond's hold weakened. Unadulterated fury and accusation was staring right back at him. Realizing that maybe, for once, he was off target, Seifer looked back at the brunet in confusion.

"Fuck," he hissed under his breath as realization hit home. Unable to continue looking at the brunet, he let his eyes fall to the floor. "Shit, Squall."

"I thought you wanted it rough," he spoke, not lessening his hold on the brunet, but no longer touching the younger man's cock. The look to the lion's eyes had scared him, chilled him to his bones. If he let go there was no saying what the brunet would do.

Reluctantly moving his eyes back up, he looked straight into narrowed eyes studying him.

"Let go," the brunet sneered at him.

Unable to come up with any alternatives, the blond slowly released his hold. As lean arms were freed, Squall angled his right arm into an acute angle before jerking it violently into Seifer's chest.

Cursing loudly at the pain shooting through his ribs, Seifer held up his arms in surrender, coughing as he tried to regain his breath.

When Squall turned around, Seifer spotted slim fingers grasping at his shirt, only too late realizing that Squall's other hand was being raised in preparation to strike. As Squall's fist connected with Seifer's jaw, a sickening crack sounded and for a split second the blond saw red, shoving the brunet to the floor in anger. Grasping the younger man's wrists, he held them over the brunet's head whilst straddling him. Temporarily immobilized, Squall just stared at the other man in venom. Above him, Seifer was catching his breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves whilst spitting out the blood that was pooling in his mouth.

"I won't touch you again," he said, narrowing his eyes before looking down at the brunet.

"Not if you don't want me to," he added, blood slowly dripping from his lips.

When no reply was received and the brunet just continued eyeing him in disgust, Seifer slowly moved to stand. Getting to his feet, he noticed the brunet remaining still on the floor, indicating the man's acceptance of his words. Before Seifer could mess things up even further, he left the room and took a deep steadying breath as he entered the bedroom.

* * *

**A/N**: A big thank you to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter - it really helped me make time for the story even though my course is trying to drown out every last drop of creativity in me. Much love to all of you. (And on another note... I hope I haven't scared anyone away with this chapter ^^;)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hearing nothing but the loud drum of his pulse, Squall closed his eyes. The cold from the tiles below was traveling through his clothes, slowly fighting the heat that was setting his body on fire. He couldn't think. Things had escalated beyond the point of rationality, beyond what his usual behavior dictated. Pushing himself up from the floor, Squall knew he needed to leave. There was nothing left to discuss with Seifer. There was nothing that urged him to stay.

As he made his way downstairs, Squall spotted Seifer sitting at the table, but quickly averted his eyes. The sight of the other man did nothing but increase his bitterness. Without a word, Squall grabbed his bag from the floor and headed out. Keeping his stride quick it wasn't long before Squall was surrounded by the cold evening air and was making his way past tall dark trees. As he walked further, Squall didn't pay any attention to how far he had walked or in which direction, but as the cold Trabian air swept against him, Squall's mind finally seemed to calm. Bringing his fingers to knead the bridge of his nose, Squall scolded himself. For the first time in as long as he could remember he had lost his cool. Continuing to knead his forehead, Squall remembered all too well just how perfectly the blond had managed to push all his buttons. No one had ever gotten to him like Seifer did.

No longer consumed with anger, Squall took in his surroundings. In the distance he could make out the moon's reflection on the lake. Resuming his path, Squall walked to stand by the lakeside, completely stilling his mind. Gazing at the moon he longed to feel the tranquility he had felt before the war. Life as a cadet had been perfect. He had excelled without even having to try. He'd had a sparring partner that had pushed him to always do his best and no one else had dared interfere with his life.

Sitting down on the cold gravel, Squall started analyzing the events of that evening. Seifer had known. Not that it would have taken a genius to find out. Squall had gotten off on it. On being dominated and being taken and Seifer had seen right through him. It wasn't like Squall hadn't known himself but it hadn't stopped him from trying to bury it and lock it up inside, twisting it into a need for revenge instead. As he sat there by the lake he was struck by the painful obviousness of it all, that it had just been an excuse to push the blond into doing exactly what Squall had wanted him to.

Around him the cold was encroaching, sinking its teeth deeper into his limbs by the minute. Closing his eyes, Squall was filled with regret. He hated being weak and he just plain hated feeling. The combination had driven him over the edge and the result had been disastrous; he had left like a coward.

He had to go back.

He wouldn't let things get out of hand again. He wouldn't lose face or show Seifer his weakness. Squall knew he had enjoyed part of what had happened between them. But so what? None of it would matter in the long run. He didn't care about his reputation. He didn't really care about the taboo of two men being together. All it came down to was a matter of pride between the two of them and he would show Seifer that he was the stronger of the two.

Determined to not let what had happened control him or consume his thoughts, Squall managed to focus solely on the quiet of the surrounding nature. None of it mattered. Nothing but the quiet lull of the leaves blowing softly in the evening wind mattered.

When Squall felt no trace of warmth left within him he realized it was time to head back. Rising from the ground headed straight for the cabin.

Laying eyes on the house, Squall frowned. No lights on were on; nothing indicating anyone being home. To his surprise, the front door was unlocked. The entrance and living room were cast in darkness, uninviting. At the end of the living room the brunet could make out a rim of light shining from beneath the door at the top of the stairs.

Briefly considered the logic of his decision to return, Squall knew there was no other option and began heading upstairs. Opening the door to the blond's bedroom, it didn't take long for him to locate Seifer. The blond was sat at the other end of the room at a desk, not giving away any indication of having noticed Squall's presence. Moving to lean against the wall next to the staircase, Squall kept his distance as he regarded the blond.

When Squall made no move to engage the blond, Seifer slowed his movements before stopping his actions completely; waiting.

For a while they remained like that, each waiting each other out. Seifer could not help but be surprised by the younger man's return. For hours it had been quiet downstairs, the rapid departure of the brunet leading to the obvious conclusion that Squall had left for good.

Unable to remain still any longer, Seifer turned around in his chair to study the brunet. A cold glare was the younger man's sole greeting.

Having the blond's attention, Squall walked towards the desk with an air of stern indifference. Turning around to lean against the desk, he crossed his arms.

"When do we spar?" he asked.

Seifer felt sick amusement course through him as he pondered the absurdity of Squall's behavior. The ice prince was indeed a master at ignoring his emotions and skirting issues.

"Tomorrow," Seifer replied, keeping his own voice void of any emotion.

The silence between them became more and more stifling as neither of them said anything further.

Narrowing his gaze ever so slightly before pushing himself away from the desk, Squall decided there was nothing more to gain from staying in the blond's presence for the time being. Returning downstairs, Squall switched on a faint light, before turning in for the night. Changing to his nightwear he curled up on the couch and tried to get warm under the thin blanket. Upstairs he could occasionally hear Seifer move about, but quickly drifted off to sleep as he pondered the different techniques he would be using during their spar.

* * *

It was barely morning when Seifer walked down the stairs. Throughout the night his mind had been keeping him awake, thoughts of the upcoming spar too alluring to push aside. That and he couldn't forget the feeling of sliding into the tight heat of the brunet. Despite the dour end to their exchanges the day before, he couldn't keep the smirk of his face as he remembered the way Squall had looked during the heat of the moment. As he laid eyes on the creature taking up his couch he could not keep reins on his imagination. The blanket covering the brunet was riding low, exposing a naked chest and the top of black drawstring pants. For a moment Seifer stopped still in his tracks, concentrating all his will on not just pouncing on the brunet. Despite the alluring imagery, he knew sexually assaulting the sleeping lion would not earn him any brownie points. Keeping his hands to himself was definitely going to be tough.

Regaining his composure, Seifer made his way to the kitchen, preparing his habitual cup of morning coffee. Pouring an extra cup of the black liquid, Seifer made his way back to the couch. Setting it down on the coffee table by the brunet, he let himself slump down in the chair opposite the couch. For a while Seifer let himself indulge and let his eyes leisurely roam the hard curves of the stoic brunet.

Stirring under the blankets, Squall awoke as the scent of coffee lured him out of his dreams. Slowly opening his eyes, his gaze landed on movement close by. Eyeing the blond sitting across from him, clearly unimpressed by the man's presence, Squall turned to look at the source of the strong smell. Spotting the cup placed close by, Squall sat up somewhat reluctantly before grabbing a hold of the warm cup, inhaling deeply. Letting the hot air fill his nose, Squall felt the cobwebs of his mind quickly dissipating. Sipping at the hot liquid, Squall felt his instinctual animosity towards the blond dwindle.

As Squall continued drinking his coffee leisurely, he could feel the blond's penetrating gaze. Neither of them made any move to break through the quiet that had settled between them.

Even though green eyes was settled on the brunet, Seifer was now far from toying with lustful images of the man before him. He could tell Squall was faraway, lost in thought, for the moment unreachable and untouchable. Squall had always been stern, forbidding, never letting anyone close. During the war, Seifer had been surprised to watch the growing bond between Squall and Rinoa from afar. It had seemed like an unlikely happening at the time, but with much more important things on his mind, Seifer hadn't spent much time considering it. He could see now though; the two must have made a poor couple. He knew both of them well enough to know that their intrinsic behaviors would clash. In all honesty, he was quite baffled Rinoa had managed to break through to Squall in the first place; he had to hand it to her for that.

The traits of the brunet before him that had been there before the war were still there. The cold aloof nature that Seifer had always been certain was rooted in something else, the need to not be exposed to anyone, to stay alone and unafraid. Before the war, Squall had been the epitome of a loner. The brunet had had no friends that Seifer knew of, in fact he had always been under the impression that he had been the only one pushy enough to be a part of Squall's life in one way or another. Was that why Squall had tracked him down initially? Had the brunet become so lonely, that he had subconsciously turned to the only thing he knew? Seifer was certain that if Squall had actually been aware of something along those lines, then the brunet's pride would have forced him to stay away. Unless that was the one thing that had changed. Looking straight into gray-blue irises, Seifer finally realized what exactly it was that had been happening between them. Last night had been about pride, not passion. The attack had most likely come as a delayed reaction to the disgrace Seifer had forced upon the brunet weeks earlier. And to make matters worse, Seifer realized that his actions had probably only exacerbated the brunet's self image. Seifer's stomach knotted at the thought of how easily Squall had given in and let Seifer take him. At the time Seifer had only thought the brunet had wanted exactly the same as himself - mindless sex; a release of sexual tension. He had been certain Squall had gotten off on being taken and that the brunet had wanted nothing else from him.

Inwardly cringing at how he had managed to go about it all so wrong, Seifer got up and walked over to the blades hanging on the wall. Maybe it wasn't too late to change things between them. Maybe there was still a way for him to build a friendship with the stoic loner of Balamb Garden after all this time. Maybe in time he would be the one to learn of the deeper layers to the cold man. Grabbing the nearly black blade with a reddish hue, Seifer realized just how much the idea of becoming Squall's friend appealed to him. If nothing else it was a interesting challenge. Shrugging it off as just another product of having nothing to do with his time and a severe lack of friends, Seifer walked back over to stand in front of the man still lost in thought on his couch.

Turning the blade in his hands, Seifer looked at in admiration.

"You should give this a try," he said, not looking at the brunet.

Moving his gaze from the blade positioned in front of him, to the man holding it, Squall considered the blond's words.

"It's the two handed version of the one from Lunear," Seifer continued, fingers curling along the length of the blade. "I got it after my last job."

In a swift move, Seifer turned the blade so that the hilt was placed in front of the brunet, inviting Squall to hold it.

Reaching out and closing his fingers around the hilt, Squall felt the weight settle in his hands as Seifer released his hold. Ever since he had spotted the beauty hanging on the wall, Squall had wanted to feel its weight in his hands. But right at that moment something was holding him back. Unable to pinpoint exactly what it was, Squall rose to lay the blade on the table, not affording the blond a single glance.

Hearing the sound of the metal as the blade was placed on the table, Seifer felt his spine go rigid. He should have know Squall would not accept his offering. Somehow the brunet always managed to push his buttons, regardless of Seifer's good intentions.

Walking past Seifer, Squall kept his eyes on mid distance. "I need a shower," he stated, before grabbing his clothes and heading upstairs.

Silently fuming, Seifer picked up the discarded mug on the table and headed back to the kitchen. Watching the hot water as he rinsed the mugs, Seifer already felt his anger start to drain. He would have to learn how to better control himself, if they were ever to get along. So what if Squall had a lot of annoying tics and idiosyncrasies. He wasn't exactly an angel himself.

Having emptied a bowl of cereal, the blond grabbed one of his trench coats and Hyperion before settling on the couch to wait for the brunet to get ready. At the sound of bare feet on the stairs, Seifer looked up, the sight of ruffled wet hair against flushed cheeks and gray-blue eyes rendering him momentarily speechless.

Approaching the blond, Squall felt eyes on him. Returning the gaze, he noted that the blond was ready to go. Running the damp towel through his hair, he walked over to coffee table and let his eyes fall onto the beautiful blade still lying there. Looking to Seifer for any sign of disapproval, Squall knelt down next to the table before closing his bare hands against the hilt of the blade and lifting it from the table. Feeling the weight of the blade in his hands, Squall was eager to test it in battle. Holding it in just one hand, he let his other hand slide against the sharp edge of the blade whilst noting its contours and sharpness.

Smug that he been right about the brunet having a weakness for the new blade, Seifer smirked. "Let's go," he said, rising from the couch and throwing Squall's bomber jacket in the younger man's direction.

Unable to suppress his excitement at playing with the new blade, a light smile made it's way onto pale lips as Squall looked up from the blade.

Returning the small smile, Seifer's usually challenging eyes held nothing but warmth for the man before him.

Placing the dark blade in Lion Heart's usual holster, Squall readied himself for their spar as well.

* * *

Black boots slid across the pebbled lakeside, a dark blade swinging low, lashing out in the direction of Seifer's legs. Jumping, the blond avoided the cut before swinging Hyperion high in the air and aiming it at Squall's right arm. A split second before impact Hyperion met resistance and stopped midair, Squall's dark blade forcing the two blades to a standstill. Locking eyes, Seifer saw the breathtaking high he was feeling reflected in the younger man's eyes.

They had been fighting for almost an hour, both men beginning to wear down, breathing fast and blood pumping. So far the brunet had made no mistakes, executing one flawless attack after the other. Seifer had been able to hold his ground, but he knew the brunet was just toying with him. Something had pushed the lion, driven him to assert himself and flaunt his skills in battle. Seifer held no illusions that he was on top or even had a chance of winning. But that didn't stop him for pretending as much.

"That all you got Squall?" He half yelled as Squall forced him to block four successive blows.

"Pathetic," he continued as he finally managed to take a swing at the brunet. Unfortunately, lightning reflexes abruptly blocked his attack and pushed his blade to the side almost forcing it out of his hold. Distancing himself, Seifer tried to regain his breath before the lion was once again at him, forcing him further down the side of the lake. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Seifer noted they were almost at the other end of the not so short lake. Blocking another blow aimed his way, Seifer cursed.

Trying to read the other man's physical state, Seifer kept his position as the dark haired Commander attacked from countless angles. Unable to keep up, confused by the sheer speed of the other man, the blond was unable to hold the attacks at bay. Feeling a sharp sting against his neck, his let his left hand travel to the spot to inspect the damage, whilst trying to block the unrelenting attacks aimed his way. The wound was skin-deep, leaving no doubt about the exceptional skill of the other fighter. Any less skilled and he would've been dead. Incensed, the blond tried to muster all remaining energy to fight back and force the brunet to distance himself, but the lion wasn't having any of it, wild eyes flashing menacingly. Entranced by the cold fire burning in those eyes, Seifer, a second too late, noticed Hyperion being forced out of his hold, his hand forced into an unnatural position. Moving his hands into a gesture of surrender, walking backwards, Seifer was unable to move his eyes from Squall's. The anger in their depths was clear, the younger man for once not trying to mask his emotions in the least. Hearing the sound of metal clattering against the pebbled ground, Seifer's eyes darted to the source and then back to Squall, keeping the distance between them. Squall had dropped his blade, but was still advancing, the look in his eyes making him feel on edge.

"Squall?" the blond tried, but received no response. Just as he was about to take a deep breath, the brunet lunged at him, but not completely off his game yet, Seifer managed to jump back just in time. Realizing their spar wasn't about to end at the mere draw of blood, Seifer tried summoning any remaining power. He was going to get his ass kicked, he knew that, but he'd be damned if he didn't get in at least a couple of decent blows himself. As a fist was directed his way, he held up his arm to block it. Feeling the impact he grimaced, taken aback by the strength behind the blow. Returning the blow on pure reflex, he wasn't surprised to feel a boot at the back of his knee, making him fall forwards. Dropping to the ground he grabbed the leg that had attacked him, forcing the brunet with him in his fall. Able to slide away from the other man, Seifer quickly got to his feet, watching as the brunet pushed himself up from the ground as well, gray-blue eyes still holding the promise of pain.

Running toward the brunet, putting all his force behind the attack, Seifer grabbed onto the slim waist before pummeling them both to the ground. Taking the combined impact of both the larger man on top of him and himself, Squall grimaced in pain. Sliding out from between them, the brunet quickly slid an arm around the blond's throat before pulling the his head up and backwards at a painful angle, gloved fingers tugging at blond strands.

"Fuck," the blond hissed in pain.

Knowing he could have snapped the blond's neck right then if he had so desired and making sure the blond was also keenly aware of the fact, Squall slowly relaxed his hold before easing away from the blond.

Staying on the ground, Seifer rolled to lie on his back, breathing heavily, keeping his eyes on the brunet. The leather clad fighter turned his back to the blond before walking towards the lake, stopping to regard it in silence.

Letting his head fall back against the ground in sudden relaxation, the blond couldn't help but grin and chuckle soundlessly to himself.

As if on cue, the brunet turned to look at the blond, eyes narrowing at the sight of amusement on the other man's face.

Looking over to meet Squall's unimpressed gaze, Seifer continued chuckling. "Fuck," he managed.

Getting up from the ground he continued. "You certainly know how to put a guy in his place."

Annoyed at the continued amusement of the other man, Squall looked back at the lake.

Amusement dying down, Seifer stood beside Squall, looking out over the lake, his mood turning pensive. An overwhelming feel of regret at his rash behavior in the bathroom the previous night washed over him.

"I didn't mean for things to go the way they did," he said, keeping his eyes on the lake.

Raising an eyebrow at the blond, Squall was surprised to hear an apology. Even though he was angry at the blond for what had happened between them, he could hardly blame the blond for having acted the way he had. After all, it had been Squall that had attacked Seifer in the first place. Thankfully, the blond seemed to have forgotten that fact. It was eerie hearing the guilt etched between the blond's words, the emotion not something Squall readily associated with the blond.

"Again?" Squall asked, not looking at Seifer.

"Give me a minute," the blond replied, lowering himself to sit on the ground.

* * *

Pouring a glass of water, Squall kept his eyes on the blond.

"Hyne, I smell like grat piss," the blond spoke, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I'm gonna hit the shower."

Squall knew he had pushed Seifer too far. As the darkness had started settling around them, the glint that was usually present in the other man's eyes had died out. Not once had Squall allowed the blond to be on top. For once Squall felt satisfied. There was no way he couldn't take pride in what he had achieved that day. Outperforming Seifer was no easy task.

Clothes clinging to him uncomfortably, Squall realized he needed a shower as well. His glass empty, he walked upstairs. As he laid eyes on the bed he didn't feel ill at ease like he had previously. Hearing the sound of the shower still running, Squall found a spot at the edge of the bed to sit in wait.

Opening the door abruptly, Seifer was quick in his stride as he left the bathroom before stopping dead in his tracks.

Looking up, Squall's eyes landed on the well trained body of a stark naked Seifer.

"What the... ?" Seifer let out, clearly not expecting the brunet in his bedroom.

Seemingly frozen to the spot, Seifer stood stunned, eyes following the brunet as Squall eased himself of the bed and walked straight past Seifer without saying a word.

Closing the door behind him, Squall quickly got ready for his shower, not giving the blond a second thought. In his mind everything was back to normal. It wasn't like he hadn't seen Seifer naked before and it probably wouldn't be the last time either. He was just relieved there didn't seem to be any traces of tension left. Under the warm flow of cascading water, Squall stretched his muscles and felt more content than he had in a long time. Things were finally as they should be.

On the other side of the door, Seifer was dressing rather quickly. Putting on a pair of loose trousers and a black shirt he kept trying to remove the imagery of a naked brunet getting lathered up in his shower from his already burdened mind. Squall had been toying with him all day. There was no denying that. Just as he had felt like he had finally gained some ground or was about to turn the tables during their fight, he had been firmly put back in his place. Sighing in frustration, he knew he had been right about his suspicion. It had been about pride. Hopefully, with Squall's pride restored, things would get easier from then onwards. Nevertheless, he still felt like utter shit for having been nothing but an instrument in a day long game of Squall asserting his superiority.

Making his way downstairs, Seifer spotted the dark blade Squall had used earlier that day. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he was no longer as pleased with his purchase. Walking over to the kitchen he proceeded to make himself dinner. Deciding to treat himself, he got out a glass and filled it to the brim with golden rum.

Halfway through his second glass and close to finishing his meal, Seifer was interrupted as Squall finally decided to join him downstairs.

Eyeing Seifer's plate, Squall walked in the direction of the kitchen to find something for himself. Settling for the first thing he could think of he grabbed a piece of bread. Joining the blond at the table, Squall wrinkled his nose in distaste as the odor of alcohol hit him.

"You leaving tomorrow?" the blond asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah."

"Didn't you finish your mission?"

Looking in Seifer's direction, Squall was puzzled by the blond's sudden urge to dabble in small talk. "There are still a lot of places I haven't mapped out. I've only finished Trabia and Galbadia."

"Hn," the blond let out in understanding before bringing the glass of rum to his lips. Noticing gray-blue eyes landing on his glass, he decided to humor the brunet. "Want some?"

"No," Squall replied immediately, brow scrunching in distaste.

Seifer couldn't help but shake his head slightly in exasperation.

"I could use a hand tomorrow," the brunet found himself saying before he could even consider the logic of his words. It was true that he wanted to test out their abilities to fight alongside each other, but that had been something he hadn't considered since the nights he had spent at Trabia Garden.

"Doing what?" the blond asked, drawing Squall back from his sudden bout of introspection.

"A hellhound. I want it dead," the brunet informed.

Clearly hearing the bitterness underlying the brunet's words, Seifer eyes softened in amusement.

"Where?"

"About four hours from here."

"Payment?"

"None."

Bringing a hand to his chin, Seifer pondered Squall's rather intriguing offer. It didn't take long for him to reach a conclusion.

"Okay," he said, feeling eager at the prospect of hunting side by side with the brunet.

Grabbing the glass in front of him, Seifer quickly downed the last drops before returning the empty glass and the bottle of alcohol to the kitchen. He didn't want to have to deal with a hangover whilst tracking down a hellhound. Watching as Squall moved to sit on the couch, Seifer walked over to add more fire to the flames that were keeping them warm.

Glancing in the direction of the other man, Seifer noted that Squall was looking as stoic as ever. They certainly had picked the right SeeD to lead the war. All the qualities of an elite fighter were there. The self-assuredness. The cold hearted cynicism. The detachment. It was all there. Nevertheless, he was certain the brunet hadn't enjoyed being the center of attention, being the leader. The brunet's current mission certainly supported his suspicions.

"Tell me... how is it being a hero?" Seifer asked, keeping his eyes on the brunet.

Looking directly at Seifer, Squall stated his answer plainly. "I hate it."

Chuckling at Squall's candid nature, the blond let the words settle in. It was pure irony that a man that detested attention so entirely had ended up being the hero of the world, caught in the limelight.

"Guess the war didn't favor either of us," Seifer stated somberly.

As the words hit him, the icy edge to Squall's eyes disappeared. He couldn't remember anyone not mocking him for his dislike for the fame that had resulted from his actions during the war. Even his friends had remained unconvinced of the truthfulness of his statements. They would return to the subject every once in a while and poke and prod at him, trying to get him to admit that he at some level at least enjoyed the attention. But he didn't. And he never had. Thus, when Seifer had not taunted him or mocked him for his answer, he had been surprised, and with the blond's show of sympathy he noticed he was no longer in the presence of an unruly teen that wanted to assert himself and his ego in any way possible, but a man that had grown in more ways than he had imagined.

"I never wanted to be a leader."

Seifer nodded slowly in understanding.

Seeing the blond sat before him for exactly who he was, Squall slowly came to the realization that even though he had hated his life after the war, Seifer had had it infinitely worse. His diametric opposite, the blond had always lived on the attention of others and because of his role in the war, the blond had had to stay away from society with the knowledge that his name was soiled and would forever remain that way.

When the war had raged and they had been on opposite sides of the battle, Squall had hated every time they had been forced to fight. He had known it hadn't been Seifer and he had hated seeing the strong boy he'd grown up reduced to a Sorceress' pet. It had made him realize how easily it could have been himself.

"I knew it wasn't you," Squall finally said, the words feeling strange in his mouth. But it was the truth. He had always thrived on fighting Seifer, but during the war he had hated it. He could still feel the frustration at having to fight someone he had been trained with; someone that had trained him. He knew they had been brought up to fight against anyone and anything, but the reality of it had scared him and left him with the undesirable knowledge that the world wasn't the black and white it had been painted during their years of training. Instead one gray shade after another had been slapped onto the increasingly dirty canvas of reality.

"I don't remember much," Seifer said softly, tearing the brunet away from his train of thought. Thinking back on the war, unfocused images of torture and pain, blood and death made Seifer's mouth go dry. In a moment of perfect clarity he could feel the song of a phoenix luring him back to life just as the taste and smell of his own blood was suffocating him. The Sorceress hadn't let him off that easy. In his moment of weakness, as he remembered things better left alone, jade eyes darted to the kitchen counter, the blond feeling a longing for alcohol to make him forget.

"I do," Squall said, the blond almost missing the words, so lost in his own thoughts.

There wasn't a single day Squall didn't feel the burden of the decisions he had been forced to make during the war. Could he have prevented the missiles from destroying Trabia Garden? Could they have defeated the Sorceress sooner? If he had allowed Rinoa to be sealed away, how many lives could have been saved? He remembered when he had been stuck in time compression, how lost he had felt. Being all alone had scared him but he had been terrified when he had realized he hadn't wanted to be found, that he had wanted it to end there. But Rinoa had found him. Smiled at him and saved him and assured him that everything was perfect. That the world was perfect just like her. For moments he had believed her, believed in the dream she had woven for them. Not even a day had passed before the press had come hammering on his door and Rinoa had guilted him into being the hero and showing the world the face they needed to see. It had been a charade and he quickly realized that even though she wanted to give him everything, she had nothing he wanted. So in a twist of fate, he had ended up being the one doing the leaving after all those years of swearing he would never become close to anyone ever again because they would just end up leaving him anyway. How true his teenage musings had turned out to be. He really, truly didn't need anyone. Just like Seifer. Time seemed to have blurred the sharply drawn lines of their opposite personalities. What had once so blatantly been different about them, were no longer so. All Squall could see were the similarities. They both lived for the excitement of the battle. They both enjoyed life on their own. They both had a passion for the almost forgotten art of fighting with a gunblade. Still, there were so many things he didn't know about the man sitting before him.

"If you were pardoned, what would you do?" Squall found himself asking, intrigued by what answer Seifer would give.

As the blond rose his eyes to meet the brunet's, Squall didn't like the hope that suddenly shone in their depths.

"Visit Raijin and Fujin," came the clear cut answer. "Apart from that probably not much." He paused. "I'm used to this."

Loyalty. A quality Squall had always suspected the blond to have but never properly witnessed.

"You've changed," he noted, finally putting into words what he was still only getting used to. Seifer was no longer an immature bully.

"You haven't," Seifer replied, eyes lighting up playfully. Squall couldn't help but ponder if the reply had been meant as an insult. There hadn't been many instances where the blond had made any positive comments about Squall's personality. If ever.

Continuing their reflections on the past, both men became quiet. When Seifer finally got up hours later and started heading upstairs, Squall spoke up. "We leave at seven."

Nodding in reply, Seifer continued his path upstairs.

* * *

Arms wound tightly around the brunet's slim waist, Seifer held on for all he was worth as Squall steered them through the forest at top speed. If he hadn't witnessed Squall's insane reflexes first hand he would've been concerned for his life. Wearing a ski cap and sunglasses, the only part of him feeling the cold sting of the freezing air was his cheeks and nearly numb lips. He wasn't certain how long they had been going for, but it hadn't taken long for him to regret not suggesting them using his SUV instead. The moment he had laid eyes on Squall's bike, he had been captivated and felt like he had just been given a new toy for Christmas. Unfortunately, the brunet hadn't given him any indication that he would ever be allowed to play with said toy.

Just as Seifer was about to signal the brunet to stop, his bladder close to giving in, Squall parted from the small track they had been following for a while, decreasing their speed. Taking in the environment, Seifer saw nothing but fluffy white snow with odd patches of dark green and brown appearing here and there.

Abruptly turning the bike whilst hitting the brakes, Squall stopped the bike with skillful ease. Killing the engine before removing his helmet, Squall still felt Seifer's bulky arms around his waist, holding on tightly. Placing the helmet on the handlebar, Squall shook his hair, happy to feel the brisk air around him. Slowly, he could feel the blond's arms loosening and his body heat disappearing from behind him.

"About time," the blond let out in a rush, quickly putting some distance between himself and the bike.

Unable to block out the sound of the blond relieving himself, Squall couldn't help an amused smile at the exaggerating blond.

When the blond returned with a satisfied smile on his face and an eager look to his eyes, Squall couldn't suppress his own enthusiasm.

"And just how are we going to find this hellhound?" the blond asked.

"Using this," Squall replied holding out a toy he had roped Selphie into lending him.

Looking at the device in Squall's hands, Seifer frowned.

"How does it work?"

"It senses heat in our surroundings and maps it onto this grid."

"Neat," the blond admitted. "But I ain't carrying it."

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Squall began walking into the forest, keeping the device to himself.

Following the brunet, Seifer made himself familiar with his surroundings instead of looking at the device. Noticing the quietness of the forest, he couldn't help but look closer at the display.

"How come we are the only sources of heat? Shouldn't there be little critters?"

"There should."

"So?

Only bothering to lift and eyebrow in response, Squall made it utterly clear that he held no more answers to that than the blond.

"Where are we anyway?" the blond inquired after a while of trudging through the snow.

"Close to Trabia Garden."

The blond nodded vaguely in reply. "Hn."

"And why is it we're here again?" Seifer continued after a moments pause.

Stopping in his tracks, Squall turned to take a better look at the blond. He wasn't certain why Seifer was suddenly sounding so reluctant. To Squall the thrill of the hunt was the only thing that mattered.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm just wondering if it's that hero gene of yours kicking in again."

Turning his attention back to the forest around them, Squall decided maybe ignoring the blond for a while was the wisest option.

Amused by the brunet's lack of reply, Seifer couldn't help but smirk. Not noticing Squall abruptly stopping in his tracks, Seifer almost walked straight into the smaller man.

"There," Squall said, tapping a leather clad thumb against a colored blob on the device.

Seeing the new heat source on the screen, Seifer instinctively reached for his rifle, but his hand was immediately stilled.

"Hyperion," the brunet spoke softly, gray-blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Smiling faintly Seifer released his hold on the gun and instead got out his blade.

Following the brunet's lead, Seifer slowly crept in the direction of the source of heat, quickly gaining ground as the creature seemed to be moving in their direction as well. Finally spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, Seifer grabbed hold of Squall's arm, forcing him to still as well.

As Squall laid eyes on the magnificent beast he had been looking for, a shiver of excitement passed through him. The beast's golden eyes swiftly scanned the surroundings as it stopped in its track, picking up on the two fighters' scents. Baring its teeth, the creature growled, trying to intimidate the intruders. Spotting the scar the beast wore from his last encounter with it, Squall felt his pulse rise and muscles tense in anticipation.

Sensing the brunet's impatience, Seifer tightened his grip on the smaller man's arm, demanding his attention. Tilting his head to the left, he indicated that they split up. With a quick nod, Squall agreed and began heading away from the larger man.

Growling, the hellhound stretched it's front legs whilst putting its weight on its hind legs, ready to jump at a moment's notice.

Unable to make out Squall's path amongst the trees, Seifer kept his eyes on the beast as he himself circled further to the left. Within minutes he saw the azure glow of Lion Heart traveling through the air before hearing a loud growl emanating from the beast. Setting off into a sprint immediately, Seifer closed the distance between himself and the action in mere seconds.

Squall was circling the ferocious beast when Seifer joined the fight, a huge gash already present on the beast. Attacking the monster from the other side, Seifer felt assured he would be able to get a cut in as well, but just before impact the beast sensed his presence and jumped out of the way snarling menacingly at the two of them. Howling, it called upon the surrounding nature, forming a cloud of icy needles high in the air before launching the spikes at its opponents. Readying himself for the impact, Seifer closed his eyes. As he stood there, seconds later, no pain evident, he slowly opened his eyes again just as the sound of rain thundering above him reached his ears. Looking up he saw the bright light of magic bursting upon impact with the reflective barrier Squall had managed to summon in time.

Golden eyes blazed as the creature tensed in pain, some of the needles reflected back to where it was standing instead of breaking upon impact. Enraged, the hellhound launched itself toward the smaller man, mistakenly calculating him for the easier prey. Jumping out of the creature's way, Squall expertly managed to cut its side. The monster, roaring in pain and thirsty for revenge, was a blur of movement as Seifer tried to make out who and what to attack. Hearing an intense growl, the blond looked on as the brunet was flung onto the beast's back, holding onto his blade, Lion Heart stuck in the hellhound's shoulder.

Grinning, Seifer ran towards them, Hyperion aimed towards a hind leg, planning on immobilizing the beast. Just as he was about to slide his blade deep into muscle, the beast turned, knocking Seifer onto his back, Hyperion sliding out of his hold.

Baring it's fangs, the beast turned towards him, eyeing him hungrily as he lay there on the ground, unarmed. Stalking closer to its prey, Seifer noticed the blue glow of Lion Heart still embedded in its shoulder but no one attached to it.

Rolling to his right, just as the creature pounced, Seifer heard the beast snap its jaws closed where his head had just been. Another loud howl rang out as the beast emptied its lungs, looking to the sky before abruptly turning its head to its right, for the moment forgetting about Seifer. Jumping to his feet and distancing himself from the animal, Seifer spotted a black blur on top of the hellhound once more.

"Here!" Squall yelled, throwing Hyperion in Seifer's direction before grabbing hold of Lion Heart's hilt once more.

Laughing in amazement of the younger man's skill, Seifer ran in the direction of the beast's blue fur now matted with a dark red. Just as he attacked, he spotted Squall with Lion Heart in his hands jumping off the creature to make a rough landing on the ground. In a speedy movement, the brunet signaled his intentions to Seifer. The brunet was going to distance himself and attack from a different angle whilst Seifer was to keep the beast occupied.

Refocusing his attention on the wounded animal, Seifer only just managed to block a sharp fang aimed at his neck. Running in the opposite direction of the brunet, Seifer abruptly turned to place a blow at the beast, blocking its advances. Glancing quickly in Squall's direction, green eyes narrowed as blue flashed around the brunet. Glancing back seconds later, Seifer saw the brunet trapped in mid motion, encased in a block of ice. Confused, the blond was stunned motionless until he landed hard on the ground, the beast tackling him sideways. Knowing he was on his own for now, the blond summoned all his remaining strength and emptied his mind of all distractions whilst focusing solely on the movements of the beast before him. Baring his own teeth, the blond swung his blade high, taking a swing at the hellhound's neck. Dark blood began raining from above, impeding his vision. Wiping the sticky fluid from his eyes, Seifer regained the hold on his blade and directed cut after cut at the slumping form before him.

Seeing the blue blur of the shell of ice still encasing the brunet out of the corner of his eyes, Seifer forced his blade deeper and further into the beasts muscles whilst gritting his teeth. Beneath him the creature was shaking, the sickening sound of the animal choking on its own blood the only noise the blond could hear. Falling to his knees, Seifer held on to the hilt of Hyperion, desperation setting in. Leaning his face against his hands, he could feel the warmth of the dying beast beneath him and he cursed it for each second it remained alive. Snapping out of his state of despair, the blond rose to his feat, warily looking in the one direction he didn't really want to. Encased in ice, Squall held the look of determination but no life were hidden in the gray-blue orbs. The phoenix downs or full-lives Seifer had on him were useless. He couldn't remove the ice without also turning the brunet into charcoal. Emptiness washing over him, the blond almost didn't hear the loud sound emerging overhead. Finally recognizing the sound, he didn't delay in distancing himself from the scene, speaking the words of aeroga as he broke into a jog. As the noise became louder, Seifer looked up but could not locate the source of the noise. Positive that it was a helicopter the blond distanced himself further until the sound of the blades cutting through the air suddenly stopped and forced him to hide behind the nearest tree.

"It's down!" someone yelled from where Seifer had been fighting the beast moments before.

"I can't see the trap," the man continued.

"It's... ah... I-I..." he said, pausing, before yelling once more. "You'd better get out here!"

Quickly stealing a glance at the scene, Seifer could make out the helicopter. It was placed not more than a couple of meters from the slain beast, the whole scene covered in a fine layer of snow, the aeroga accomplishing what the blond had hoped for; covering his tracks.

Exiting the aircraft was a tall lanky man with long hair and a tiny brunette with curly hair wearing a yellow snowsuit. Spotting the fallen hellhound, the brunette started jumping excitedly on the spot before launching herself at the lanky man in joy.

Recognizing the pair, Seifer narrowed his eyes.

"Erm... Tilmitt... Miss..." the boy that had called the pair out of the helicopter spoke, gesturing towards the block of ice. As Selphie laid her eyes on it, Seifer could hear her gasp even from his position. Seeing her pained eyes as she looked to the taller man, Seifer had to look away.

Returning her gaze to look at her friend frozen still in mid movement, Selphie's mind went blank. Acting on instinct she ran towards the controller, falling to her knees, desperately brushing the snow covering it aside.

"Nathan, get a phoenix down, now!" she yelled and the young SeeD ran off to the aircraft. Past his initial shock, Irvine walked over to stand next to where his fiance was desperately digging through the snow.

"He'll be alright," he said softly, bending down to squat beside her.

Unable to do anything else before Nathan returned, Selphie looked to her fiance, worry and pain clear on her features.

"What is he doing here?" she asked, voice tiny.

"Finishing the job," Irvine supplied somberly. "You knew he wasn't going to leave it alone."

"No..." she paused. "I-I mean **here**," she said, gesturing at their immediate surroundings.

Looking at Squall's frozen form Irvine knew what it was she was saying. Squall didn't look like a man who had just slain a creature. Narrowing his eyes, Irvine took in their surroundings with renewed interest.

"Here," Nathan spoke softly as he joined them again, tearing both of them away from their current train of thought.

"Okay. I'm going to disable the trap. Be ready with the phoenix down," Selphie ordered.

In front of them the ice turned to liquid and sloshed violently against Squall's form as it lifelessly landed on the frozen ground, water trickling from his mouth, skin deathly pale apart from contrasting dark blue veins.

Grabbing his friend, Irvine forced the remaining water out of the brunet's lungs before holding the man's mouth open for Nathan to pour the phoenix down into. Holding the freezing man close, Irvine felt the heat slowly returning to the younger man's body whilst Selphie leaned over the brunet, desperately looking for any signs of their friend being okay.

Holding Squall in place as he suddenly jerked violently, Irvine closed his eyes in relief.

Coughs wracking his whole body, Squall opened his eyes reluctantly, barely making out the blur of a person in front of him. "Se..." he began, but couldn't finish as another set of coughs kicked in on reflex.

"Shhhhh, Squall, it's alright," Selphie spoke softly, stroking his wet hair.

Opening his eyes in confusion, Squall managed to speak. "Selphie?" he asked, brows knitted in confusion.

Smiling in relief, the petite girl hugged her friend close. "You're alright!" she let out in a small voice, tears almost spilling at the intense joy coursing through her. "You're alright."

"Dammit Squall, why do you have to do this?" she finally asked, frustrated by the man's knack for always landing in situations like that.

"I'm fine," he said, already feeling a lot better, the X-potion he'd been given settling in. Scrunching his eyebrows further, he couldn't help the anxiety that was rising at the back of his mind. He couldn't remember what had happened or even where he was. Looking at the surroundings a flash of the fight with the beast lying dead on the ground to his right made him wonder aloud. "What are you doing here?"

"The trap," Selphie said, gesturing towards the device no longer covered by snow.

As Squall remembered he hadn't been fighting the beast on his own he tensed in Selphie's hold. Worried, he got to his feet, making his way to the fallen hellhound.

"You didn't hold back, huh?" Irvine said, as Squall looked at the large creature in front of him, deep slashes almost making the form unrecognizable. Spotting patches of wet fur, caused by a mix of blood and melted snow and the lack of tracks leading away, Squall was relieved. Unable to help himself, Squall quickly scanned their surroundings as subtly as possible, but couldn't make out any obvious leads.

Eyeing his friend, Irvine couldn't help but be certain something was off. The brunet was no longer interested in the monster, but instead skimmed the horizon, confirming Irvine's suspicion that someone else had been involved.

"Let's head back," Selphie interjected, coming to stand between the two men. "You need to get some dry clothes on," she said eyeing up the brunet's drenched clothes.

"I..." Squall began, uncertain how to finish. "Do you have a spare SeeD uniform I can borrow?"

Narrowing her eyes instantly in response to Squall's question, Selphie couldn't stop the motherly reprimand from spilling off her lips. "You need some days off."

Keeping his eyes on the SeeD that had temporarily left them to go to the helicopter, Squall kept his ground. "I already had some. I need to get back." Meeting the concerned girl's gaze he continued. "I don't want to leave my bike here."

Letting out all her frustration in a deep sigh, Selphie knew there was no way of changing her friend's mind.

"Okay," she said. "But only if we can find you some dry clothes."

Squall nodded and headed in the direction of the aircraft.

"There's one in there," the young SeeD informed as he jumped back out of the helicopter.

Making his way to the back of the helicopter, Squall saw the uniform laid out for him. Removing his soaking clothes, he began shivering but was distracted by the intense discussion his friends were having outside. He wasn't able to make out much as they were obviously trying to keep their voice levels below his hearing range. Only able to make out fragments like "It doesn't ma-" and "- obviously not gonna te-" the brunet quickly gave up and instead let heat course along the surface of his body as he spoke the words of fire and felt the heat warm his body as it fought playfully against the protective shield Shiva had erected around his naked skin.

Once finished dressing, Squall slid the door open to the outside and jumped down onto the frosty ground, cutting short the heated conversation his friends were having.

"Thanks," he said, nodding at the young SeeD.

Unable to stop herself, the petite brunette once again found herself hugging the stoic man.

"Anytime man," Irvine spoke from beside them. Looking at the tall man, Squall could easily read the reluctance in the man's stance. Irvine knew something was up. Unwilling to deal with it, Squall decided it would be best for him to be on his way as quickly as possible.

Distancing himself from Selphie, he held her concerned gaze. "I'll visit soon," he said, to which she smiled, her eyes lighting up. Turning around, Squall began heading in the direction where he remembered his bike to be waiting, vainly hoping Seifer hadn't relied entirely on Squall leading them back to the bike.

Hearing the sound of the aircraft taking off behind him, Squall looked over his shoulder for the briefest of moments. Almost as soon as the noise had started, it had disappeared in the distance and Squall was left to himself.

Looking around, the brunet couldn't see any signs of the blond. Instead of wasting his energy on looking for Seifer he decided to just return to the bike and wait for the blond to find his own way back.

Twenty minutes of walking later, Squall stopped in his tracks as he laid eyes on the blond leaning against his bike.

Green eyes were on him immediately, but Seifer remained quiet, not speaking a word, just keeping his eyes on Squall. Unable to read the blond's expression, Squall resumed his stride and continued walking towards his bike, the intense gaze of the blond following his every move. Stopping when he was standing side by side with the blond, Squall unzipped the bag hanging off the bike and placed the wet clothes he had been carrying in it. About to move onto the bike, Squall felt the blond's hand on his arm, keeping him in place.

Seifer couldn't tear his eyes from the man before him. Squall looked like a ghost, skin deathly pale, his eyes appearing bluer and colder than Seifer knew them to be. From the sidelines he had watched the man's resuscitation; how Squall had reacted when he had been brought back to life. He couldn't believe how little the brunet had cared for his own life, that he had treated near death like an everyday occurrence, a slight inconvenience at best. It left the blond with a rancid taste in his mouth and a sense of desperation he couldn't escape.

"I'll drive," Seifer spoke, his voice lower than usual.

When Squall turned to glare at him in reply, Seifer's mind easily supplied the translation of 'the fuck you are.'

Watching the brunet move onto the bike, Seifer clenched his jaw before following suit. _Ice prince indeed_.

As they drove away, Seifer played with the mental image of shaking the younger man until he could gain any reaction at all from the stoic man. But as the minutes dragged on the blond conceded to settle for the warm heat against him as proof enough that there was something more left to Squall than the icy exterior he showed the world.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry about taking forever with the update ^^; Hope the chapter was okay. Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was early evening when Squall pulled up in front of the cabin. Bringing the bike to a full stop, he stayed on the bike, not making any moves to switch off the engine.

Remaining seated on the bike as well, Seifer decided to break the silence. "You're not continuing on tonight."

After a moments pause, Squall replied in annoyance. "Don't tell me what to do."

As the silence settled between them, Seifer's mood quickly deteriorated. There was no way he was going to let Squall continue on, but he also knew ordering the brunet about was not the way to gain the man's cooperation.

"Stay," Seifer finally said.

Relaxing in his seat, Squall felt his determination waver. As he killed the engine, he strangled a sigh of defeat. He couldn't deny crashing for the night sounded good. That and his body felt like it was slowly falling apart.

Moving off the bike, Seifer eyed the brunet cautiously, ready to grab hold of him or stop him from taking off if the man suddenly changed his mind. When the brunet slowly removed his helmet and eased himself off the bike, Seifer met Squall's tired gaze and gestured in the direction of the cabin with his head.

"Come on," Seifer spoke before grabbing the bag attached to the bike.

Inside, Seifer began switching on lights whilst Squall moved to sit on the couch. Moving to the fireplace, Seifer stole a quick glance at the quiet brunet. Squall looked more tired than Seifer had ever seen him, gray-blue irises already half hidden behind drooping eyelids.

Sinking deeper into the soft cushions of the couch, Squall couldn't see or hear anything around him, the sound of crashing waves overriding any other sound as his surroundings began swirling into a blur of colors. Even though his skin felt warm his bones felt like they were made of ice, locked into place. There was no energy left in him, he couldn't even move to lie down or grab a blanket to try and warm himself. Eyes unfocused and mind numbed, Squall just sat there not registering the world around him until he felt warmth against his right shoulder. Managing to look towards the source of heat, Squall saw the blurry outline of a hand on his shoulder and let his gaze travel to its owner's face. Watching Seifer's lips move as if in slow motion, Squall was slightly worried when he couldn't make out any words. Focusing completely on the movement of the blond's lips, the brunet was startled when a mug was held up in front of him. Understanding Seifer's intention, Squall slowly moved his hand to take the cup, slightly surprised when he found himself capable of completing the action. Feeling the warmth spreading against his hand, Squall quickly brought the cup to his mouth, eager to feel the hot liquid against his lips. Downing the amber liquid, Squall relaxed as heat coursed through him.

"I'll turn on the boiler. The water should be ready in about half an hour," Seifer said, eyeing Squall in concern.

Hearing the softly spoken words, Squall felt like he had just emerged from below water, finally able to see and hear again. Looking in Seifer's direction, Squall watched as the blond laid Squall's clothes out to dry before joining Squall by the fireplace.

Sitting down across from Squall, Seifer couldn't tear his eyes from the younger man. Seeing Squall in a SeeD uniform made Seifer ache. He had always dreamt of wearing a SeeD uniform; imagined how irresistible he would look and how everyone else would envy him. Not that he would have conformed to anything as trivial as wearing a uniform for long. Nevertheless, it still ached to see it on display whilst knowing he would never be able to fulfill those dreams. The uniform made Squall look even more untouchable, underlining the man's stern expression.

A sudden buzzing abruptly tore both men from their respective thoughts, the sound coming from where the still wet clothes were hanging. Getting up, Seifer quickly located the mobile before handing it to Squall.

"Quistis," he informed before sitting back down.

Frowning at his mobile, Squall accepted the call.

"Squall!" the woman at the other end of the line exclaimed before overwhelming the younger man with a barrage of questions. "Where have you been? Why didn't you answer earlier? I've been so worried about you!"

Seifer easily picked up on Squall's unease as the younger man's gaze traveled to rest on the floor.

"They told you," Squall spoke without inflection.

"Of course, what did you think would happen?" the girl demanded.

"It's no big deal." Squall replied, getting up from the couch to place some distance between himself and Seifer, wanting privacy if only of the imaginary kind.

"You could have died!" Quistis supplied in outrage.

Seifer was still able to hear every single word and wanted to shout out the exact same sentiment, wanting to force Squall to face up to reality. It was tempting, but the blond also knew that for the time being other things were more important than finding a release for his own pent up emotions.

When Squall didn't say anything further, Quistis finally continued. "Where are you?" she asked.

As the silence stretched on, she became impatient. "You're with him, aren't you?" she asked, not hiding her suspicions any longer, sounding slightly like a wronged lover. Seifer raised an eyebrow in interest.

At her rather direct claim, Squall froze in place.

"After Selphie called I checked your file," she said, pausing. "You haven't updated for days."

Squall remained quiet, unable to decide on what to tell her.

"He was with you, wasn't he?" she went on. "They told me that something was off, that somehow it didn't make sense."

Squall sighed, but kept quiet still.

"Talk to me, Squall," Quistis pleaded, voice soft.

Bowing his head in resignation, Squall took a deep breath. Stealing a glance at Seifer, Squall decided it was probably for the best if he found somewhere more private before continuing the conversation.

Making his way upstairs, Squall closed the door behind him as he entered Seifer's bedroom.

"He was there," he said, finally answering his inquisitive friend.

Relieved that Squall was talking to her, Quistis couldn't stop the questions that came pouring out of her. "Why didn't he help you? Why did he leave?"

Even though Squall hadn't been conscious to witness what had happened he was fairly certain he knew why Seifer had left. It would only take the addition of a tiny white lie to satisfy Quistis' curiosity. "Selphie and Irvine arrived. He knows I don't want anyone to know about him."

It was Quistis' turn to sigh heavily, fazed by her Squall's reasoning.

"He certainly knows how to fight, huh?" she finally said, remembering Irvine's description of the scene. It hadn't surprised her in the least. "He's a gunblader too, isn't he?"

"Yes," Squall replied, his unease growing, not at all pleased by Selphie and Irvine's observation skills.

"Where did he train? Is he a SeeD?" she asked, intrigued.

"No. Privately trained," came the terse reply.

"That must've been expensive. Rich family?"

"Not really," Squall answered noncommittally.

"So you're at his now?"

"Yes."

"And he's there with you?"

Squall frowned, uncertain why Quistis was asking all those questions. "Not right now-" he started but was abruptly cut off.

"I wish I could meet him, Squall," Quistis spoke excitedly. From the facts she had gathered up to that point she knew without a doubt there was more going on than Squall cared to admit. "Can I tell Selphie?" she asked.

"No!" Squall replied, voice hard.

Making tsk tsk noises, Quistis tried tempering her disappointment. Having to keep a secret of that magnitude from her closest friends was eating away at her. That and she really wanted to share her girlish excitement over the new development in Squall's life.

"I only came here to spar," Squall said, wanting to explain. He really didn't want Quistis to get the wrong idea.

Hearing Squall's determined voice, Quistis giggled inwardly. "If you say so," she said, thinking that he might be able to fool himself but not her. "Three days of sparring is a long time," she added, unable to stop herself from teasing.

When Squall didn't reply Quistis started worrying if she had gone to far, but when he finally broke the silence to inform her that he needed a shower, Quistis had to laugh inwardly. She could still very clearly recall his quick retreat to the bathroom the night he had confessed to having had sex with a guy. The guy Squall was currently staying with.

"Fine Squall, you do that. I'll speak to you soon," she said, heat rising to her cheeks at the thought of Squall being intimate with someone.

Hanging up, Squall sat as if transfixed, just staring strangely at the phone in his hand. There was no doubt Quistis thought there was something going on between himself and Seifer. Only, she didn't know it was Seifer. Regardless, he would have to correct her the next time he spoke with her. Somehow he had the feeling it wouldn't be quite so easy to convince her of her error.

Eyeing the door to the bathroom, Squall was eager to feel the hot water against his skin. Getting into the shower, Squall turned on the faucet before moving to stand under the hot spray. Hot water running against his cold skin, Squall felt like his body was finally coming alive again, the almost scolding water making his skin raw and tender. Inhaling the hot air gathering around him, Squall's mind became increasingly foggy, his thoughts quickly singling in on his need for sleep. Drying off slowly, unable to pull himself out of his tired state, it was a while before Squall finally left the bathroom.

Opening the door to the bedroom, Squall was surprised to lay eyes on the blond. Seifer sat as if lost in thought at the end of the bed. At Squall's approach, Seifer raised his head and quickly rose form the bed.

"I'll sleep on the couch tonight," Seifer said, eyes resting on Squall.

"No," Squall spoke forcefully, his brow creasing in annoyance.

"Fuck it Squall, you need a proper night's sleep," Seifer continued, his words more resigned than anything. Seifer hadn't expected it to be easy to persuade Squall to accept any form of comfort. Indeed, Squall's eyes narrowed dangerously before he gave his reply. "You think I'll get that in your bed?"

At the harsh words green eyes narrowed as well before Seifer let a smirk grace his features. "Either that or it's going to get mighty crowded on the couch."

Grabbing a pillow before Squall could reply, Seifer turned to head downstairs.

Following the blond's retreating back with his gaze, Squall stood as if transfixed, words of protest at the tip of his tongue. Unable to come up with any better alternative, the brunet finally relented and sat down on the bed. Feeling the mattress softly shifting under his weight, Squall felt the tiredness from before settle back in. Not finding the strength to fight it, Squall let himself fall backwards onto the bed. Almost falling asleep in his somewhat awkward position, Squall finally gave in and rose to undress before moving under the duvet. Surrounded by softness and white cotton, Squall let himself drift off whilst enjoying the feel of lying in a comfortable bed for the first time in months.

* * *

It was the smell of coffee that pulled Squall out of his dreams the following morning. Opening his eyes slowly, he immediately lay eyes on a mug placed on a nightstand next to the bed. Forcing the last vestiges of sleep from his mind by massaging his forehead, he sat up. On all sides he was surrounded by a big fluffy duvet, a luxury he was very rarely afforded. Laying eyes on the mug once more, Squall grabbed it in curiosity. The mug was filled with the black liquid Squall had expected, the container still warm to the touch. Placing a pillow behind him, Squall lent back against the wall, for once letting himself just enjoy the moment.

It had been a long time since Squall had last slept so well and undisturbed, not to mention so comfortably. He just couldn't bring himself to leave yet. He couldn't care any less who usually slept in the bed. Sipping on the hot coffee whilst sinking deeper into the bed, Squall couldn't help but feel thankful towards the blond. Seifer had known exactly what Squall had needed and sitting in the blond's bed that morning Squall found himself feeling utterly selfish; he really didn't want the luxury to end. The first excuse came surprisingly easy. After all he didn't actually feel **that** rested so it was completely justified to snuggle up under the duvet for a second helping of much needed sleep.

When Squall woke again hours later he stretched his limbs languidly before taking his time getting up. He hadn't lain in since before he had gone on his current mission. If what he was currently assigned to do could actually be called a mission. Noticing the cup from earlier missing, Squall frowned before getting dressed and heading downstairs.

At the large wooden table Seifer sat cleaning Hyperion meticulously, not sparing Squall a glance as the brunet made his way towards the kitchen to make himself some breakfast. Or lunch, more likely.

A chunk of bread in hand, Squall hoisted himself up to sit on the surface of the kitchen counter, keeping his eyes on Seifer's almost reverent treatment of the disassembled blade. In that respect they were entirely alike. Nothing mattered more than keeping their blades in prime condition. Once finished eating, Squall walked to where he had left Lion Heart the night before. Moving to sit opposite Seifer, he deftly began the same rigorous approach, giving Lion Heart thorough clean.

With Squall sat just across from him, Seifer felt his concentration waver. Stealing glances at the younger man, he was relieved to note the tired look from the night before had vanished from the brunet's face. The paleness had also disappeared, Squall's slight tan back in place. Seifer wasn't really surprised when he found himself enjoying the view. Sleep tousled bangs lazily framed Squall's face as the man studied his blade in earnest. The SeeD uniform was slightly mussed, hanging open to reveal a soft white shirt underneath. Even though Seifer took his eyes off Squall, the brunet still remained in his thoughts.

Seifer had been more than mildly surprised to find Squall lying in his bed when he had entered his bedroom that morning. He had been absolutely certain Squall would have left as early as possible and without a sound. That the brunet was sitting across from him, still present well after noon was baffling to the blond. However, it didn't change the fact that Seifer had work to do.

Somewhat surprised to find Hyperion lying reassembled and polished before him despite his distracted frame of mind, Seifer got up from the table.

Barely registering Seifer leaving the table, Squall continued his work as if in a trance. When Seifer picked up Hyperion from the table ten minutes later to head out, Squall was so absorbed he didn't even notice that either. So when Squall finished his work hours later, he was quite surprised to find the house completely empty.

Eyeing the door leading to the front of the house, Squall felt wary, but then another excuse popped up, immediately distracting him. Recalling his wet clothes from the night before, the brunet frowned when he couldn't locate them where he remembered Seifer placing them the night before. Getting antsy, Squall was relieved when he finally spotted his clothes lying in a neat pile on the couch. Grabbing them he quickly went upstairs to change. Returning back downstairs, Squall looked at the time. It was too late to leave. Really. He would gain more from staying and completing his daily exercise. Determined, he grabbed Lion Heart and set course for the lake.

* * *

Out of breath and soaked in his own sweat, Squall stopped in place. He had been driving himself hard, constantly pushing himself. Running a hand through his dishevel locks, he skimmed his surroundings. The shadows were getting longer, the colors of the environment graying. In the distance Squall could make out Seifer working by the lakeside, emptying a net. Glancing in the direction of the lake once more, Squall felt a strange connection to the place. Feeling the tranquility of the place calm his mind, he walked over to a large outcrop

Lowering himself to sit on the cold ground, Squall lent back to rest against one of the rocks. Disconnecting from time and place, Squall lost himself to deeper thoughts. Pondering, the brunet was so absorbed he didn't even notice the blond leaving nor returning. It wasn't till he heard the other man settling down on the rock next to him that Squall returned to reality. In the distance Squall spotted the blood red sky and the sun slowly disappearing in the horizon.

After a moment of enjoying the view, Squall got up and slowly began removing his clothes.

Unable to tear his eyes from the man in front of him, Seifer sat transfixed. The orange hues of the sun on Squall's naked skin made the brunet look almost ethereal as he walked to the surf of the lake.

Slowly continuing his path, Squall didn't make any noise as the cold water started lapping against his skin.

Realizing Squall was fully submerged, Seifer couldn't help a slight smile at how entirely spellbound he had been. Chuckling to himself, he tore his eyes away from the lake. It was getting too dark for him to see much anyway.

As Seifer sat in the dark he could hear nothing but the occasional splash of water. He didn't even want to think about how cold the water was, the air almost stinging against his skin.

Hearing movement at the lakeside once more, Seifer looked back, unable to make out much more than Squall's silhouette until luminescent waves of magic traveled across the man's skin, red and blue glowing strands of magic fighting for dominance. Scrunching his eyebrows in apprehension, Seifer didn't relax until Squall began walking back in Seifer's direction, seemingly unharmed. Understanding dawning, Seifer was awed by Squall's exceptional grasp of magic.

Waiting for Squall to get dressed, Seifer got up from his position to stand next to him, giving the younger man a sense of privacy.

Walking back in silence, neither of them really realized that they hadn't spoken a single word that day, just coexisted without needing words. It was Squall who finally broke the silence when they arrived back at the cabin.

"Where did you put the fish?" he asked, not even considering that Seifer might not understand what he was talking about.

Looking at Squall in slight confusion, Seifer replied. "There's a container with a couple in the fridge."

Hanging his leather jacket on the back of a chair, Squall proceeded to the kitchen and got out the container.

Neither spoke as Squall began cooking. Green eyes followed the younger man as he rummaged through Seifer's cupboards to find what he needed rather than asking for help. Seifer remained passive, just watching as the meal was prepared.

When Squall placed two plates on the table with food that looked more delicious than anything Seifer had laid eyes on in months, Seifer's mouth watered. Digging in, the blond was surprised that his eyes hadn't deceived him; Squall had indeed cooked a delicious meal. Biting down the urge to tell Squall that he would make an excellent housewife, Seifer instead settled on something that probably wouldn't send food flying.

"This is nice," he spoke, not noticing Squall's eyes narrow in suspicion. "Really good."

At the added statement an elegant eyebrow rose in disbelief and when Seifer finally looked up he knew he had to change the topic urgently if he was to appease the brunet.

"So if you're not enjoying your role at Garden, why don't you leave?" he asked jumping to a completely different train of thought.

Silent for a moment before Seifer's question finally made it through his defenses, Squall considered the question.

"There's nothing else," he finally stated, his voice not conveying how much the brutal truth actually affected him.

"You could do what I do," Seifer supplied.

"I couldn't," Squall spoke, eyes becoming unfocused.

It didn't take long for Seifer to realize that Squall was right. Squall had never been good at socializing or manipulating people. It was something that had always been very different about them. And it was that exact skill that meant Seifer never had to worry about getting jobs; he could always worm his way into people trusting him to give him a job.

"I've hardly been on any missions since the war," Squall continued. "There aren't many in the first place, but the ones Garden get they can't use me for because everyone knows my face."

Squall's voice was no longer neutral, bitterness was etched into every word.

Seifer clearly showed his disbelief. "I still manage it."

"Tell that to Xu," Squall said in irritation.

Empathizing with Squall, the words left Seifer's mouth before he could reconsider. "Would you be up for a mission together? I mean, I could probably find something for both of us if you want to come along."

Looking directly at Seifer, Squall tried to figure out how sincere Seifer was being. Satisfied by the sincerity of Seifer's expression, Squall nodded briefly. "If it's possible."

Thinking about going on a proper mission, not even remembering the last time he had been on one, Squall felt excitement that had long laid dormant resurfacing. Lost in thought, thinking of what type of mission they could end up going on, Squall didn't notice anything else before he found himself staring at an empty plate; Seifer was already sat by the fireplace, languidly perusing a Weapons Monthly.

Joining Seifer by the fireplace, Squall got comfortable on the couch and let himself enjoy the sight of the dancing flames. It didn't take long however, before the blond interrupted the peaceful meandering of Squall's thoughts.

"Squall..." Seifer began. "Why did you track me down?"

Keeping his eyes on the flames, Squall answered without really acknowledging the blond. "I was bored."

There were no details in his answer, but it was the most honest answer he could give.

Seifer couldn't help but smirk slightly at the notion of Squall seeking him out because he had needed someone to bring some excitement into his life. The smirk vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared though as he remembered that he had indeed brought quite a bit of excitement into the younger man's life. A sudden unfamiliar urge to apologize grew at the back of Seifer's mind. He really wasn't proud of what had transpired that first night when Squall had made his appearance.

"Squall...I-" he started.

"Don't," Squall immediately demanded, quite certain he knew where Seifer was going from the tone of the other man's voice. Squall had no intention of ever revisiting that night in his thoughts. It was the past and it didn't matter anymore.

"Okay," Seifer relented, leaning back in his seat. He wasn't surprised Squall didn't want to hear the apology and he couldn't deny he was rather relieved by that. Strangely, Seifer mused, regardless of what their relationship had been through, they still managed to be friends in the most natural of ways.

"You and Quistis seem to have become close," Seifer said, recalling the interruption from the night before.

"She's a good friend," Squall replied matter-of-factly.

"Never did imagine you two getting close. She always seemed way too stuck up her own ass."

The ensuing pause stretched on long enough for Seifer to acknowledge that Squall wasn't endeared by his description of Quistis. He knew he was right for certain when Squall's eyes bore directly into his own

"I never imagined you capable of living a life not being the center of attention," Squall retorted, voice hard.

Narrowing his eyes in response, Seifer replied somberly. "I've learnt my lesson."

Returning his thoughts to the phone call from the night before, Seifer remembered another topic that had been on his mind. "So... with the lack of SeeDs at my door, I take it you didn't tell Quistis about me?"

Squall's answer was immediate. "No."

"Why?"

"She didn't need to know," came the simple reply.

"But you obviously trust her, so why not tell her?" Seifer asked.

Frowning at the question, Squall knew exactly why he hadn't told Quistis. He had needed to tell her about what had happened between himself and Seifer; divulging Seifer's identity would have been a disaster. Disclosing it later on had appeared no less disastrous. "I see no reason to."

"So when Quistis referred to a 'he' when you were talking to her yesterday, who exactly **was** she referring to?" Seifer continued.

Looking away, Squall tried avoiding the answer. Something he should have realized wouldn't work on Seifer years ago.

"Who?" Seifer repeated.

"Just a guy," was Squall's rather evasive reply.

"Me?" Seifer asked after a slight pause.

"Yes."

Coming to the conclusion that a nameless version of himself existed in Quistis' mind, Seifer was even more curious. "What did you tell her?" he asked, intrigued to know what Squall had told Quistis about their encounters.

Seifer's question brought gray-blue eyes to lock straight onto jade, the brunet regarding the blond in irritation.

"It can't be that bad," Seifer commented, half laughing at Squall's rather pissed off expression. "Come on. What does she know?" he asked, unable to suppress a smirk.

As Squall's glare intensified whilst he remained quiet, Seifer rose an eyebrow in challenge. At the appearance of a slight reddish hue on Squall's high cheekbones, Seifer couldn't help but snort.

"Reeaaaaally?" Seifer asked, highly amused, trying to wind up Squall even further.

Fully aware that Seifer was bating him, Squall averted his gaze. He didn't understand why though. Surely the topic wasn't pleasant for either of them.

"I thought you repressed the shit out of that," Seifer let out before he could bite back his blunt statement.

Squall's eyebrows scrunched in contemplation. Indeed, he had tried to repress it.

Keeping his eyes on Squall, Seifer continued studying the brunet. The slight flush was still there, reminding Seifer of other times when that color had been present on the brunet's cheeks. Sucking in his breath as one vivid image after another of a rather naked brunet came to mind, Seifer felt his hormones take control. He wanted to make Squall lose control to pleasure again. He wanted to slide inside the brunet whilst listening to the stoic man sucking in his breath in need. Leaning back in his seat and raising his arms behind him, locking his hands at the back of his head, Seifer spoke with the clear intent to provoke Squall. "Fuck, I'm horny."

The sentence gained the blond an incredulous look from the brunet, Squall making it perfectly clear that he hadn't wanted to know that piece of information. But as Squall took in the look of unadulterated hunger in Seifer's eyes, he felt rather hot and not just a little bit like Seifer was about to devour him whole.

"Stop that," he spoke, voice not nearly as demanding as he would have liked.

"What?" Seifer leered, pretending to be oblivious.

"Looking at me like that," Squall clarified, not realizing Seifer was baiting him.

"Don't you ever get horny, Squall?" Seifer asked, unable to help himself from toying with the younger man.

Finally Squall looked away, annoyance taking over his features. "Fuck you, Seifer."

Letting Squall stew for a couple of minutes before continuing, Seifer refused to end his fun. "Tell me... when **does** the mighty Commander feel the urge to touch himself?"

"I don't," Squall answered plainly, the dismissive tone egging Seifer on.

"I think we need a remedy for that," Seifer said, voice low. Pausing for a moment to lure Squall into a false sense of security, Seifer trained his eyes on the brunet, not wanting to miss the brunet's reaction to the words he was about to speak.

"How about Rinoa's wet pussy?" he asked, watching keenly for any reaction. "Does thinking about that get you hot?"

As Squall's face contorted in distaste, Seifer chuckled inwardly but plunged forward, wanting to push the brunet. "How about her naked breasts, nipples pert just for you?"

Enjoying Squall's expressing all too much, Seifer continued. "No? That doesn't do it for you?"

Pausing for impact, the blond braced himself for the very likely event of an angry brunet wanting to throttle him before continuing.

"Hmmmmm... how about a hard cock then, straining to be touched?" he said, not sure what to make of the lack of reaction. The thought of Squall being close to snapping made his heart beat faster, a particular type of anticipation setting in, yet he couldn't stop himself. "Slowly pushing into you."

At the glazed over look to Squall's eyes and the deeper shade of pink spreading on the man's cheeks, Seifer felt all his blood rush south. Stunned by the image before him, Seifer found his mind drawing a blank even before Squall spoke the word 'stop'.

"I want to make you come," Seifer finally said, the words leaving his mouth before he could think better of it. Looking directly at Seifer, Squall forgot the retort he was about to speak, the intensity in green eyes greater than he had witnessed before.

"What?" Squall asked in disbelief, his voice almost inaudible. He couldn't believe the reality of what Seifer was saying. Beginning to question his sanity, Squall almost missed it when Seifer repeated the words.

Letting the words sink in, Squall narrowed his eyes in displeasure. His mind couldn't deal with what was happening. He didn't really understand why Seifer was acting the way he was or why they had ended up at this juncture. He thought they had successfully returned to being sparring partners; he thought they had left everything else behind.

"You're such a pussy, Squall, so fucking afraid of losing face," Seifer jeered, interrupting Squall from his thoughts. "Well, guess what. Sex isn't about being humiliated or dominated. It's about pleasure."

Finding Seifer's statement ridiculously flawed, Squall raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Okay. Yes, it was. Fuck it, it was. But not anymore. I just want sex. And I want to show you how fucking mind blowing it can be."

Squall cringed when his mind quickly supplied its own opinion on the matter. _It was._

Getting up from where he had been sitting, Seifer waited for Squall to look at him before nodding his head in the direction of the stairs.

"Come on," he said, before pausing briefly. "Live a little."

Heading upstairs without looking back, Seifer felt his pulse rise. No matter how nonchalant and collected he had acted, it had been just that. An act. He was burning with desire and knew he needed release one way or another. Having Squall participate would definitely be the more satisfying option. But it was out of his hands. Squall would have the final say; Seifer wanted it to be Squall's choice. No more fuck ups or misunderstandings. If Squall wasn't up for it, there was always his own hand, although that thought made Seifer's excitement dwindle considerably.

Lost in thought, Squall couldn't make the wretched excitement at Seifer's words disappear. He wanted to make it disappear, but as he remembered the raw emotions he had experienced whilst being taken by Seifer before, he wanted nothing but join the blond upstairs. Trying to remove himself from the situation he quickly realized his bias. He was turned on. Somehow Seifer had managed to make him want something he hadn't even thought about lately. Without thinking, Squall found himself standing, teetering on the edge of a decision. Even with the knowledge that his mind was biased he could no longer justify his reluctance. There had been no malicious intent in Seifer's eyes, only lust. Maybe there really was a way for them to just find release in each other without it being about anything but pleasure. Not that he had ever found himself wanting that kind of pleasure before. But before didn't matter, only the present did. Grabbing hold of that thought Squall started from his frozen position and headed in the direction of the stairs.

* * *

Hearing Squall walking up the stairs, Seifer couldn't help but wonder if the end of the world was near. He had never believed himself to be a lucky son of a bitch. But at that moment he certainly felt like one. He was going to have Squall. Naked. In his bedroom. The most lusted after man on the planet. In his bed. Willingly. Not because of the man's ridiculous pride or because of an absurd bargain but because Squall wanted it. Squall finally wanted to let go. Quickly moving from his slumped position on the bed, Seifer stopped in his tracks as Squall entered the bedroom.

Squall looked off to the side slightly, obviously uncomfortable.

Without saying anything Seifer began removing his shirt.

Watching Seifer take off his shirt out of the corner of his eyes, Squall reluctantly slid his own off, his necklace landing cold against his chest.

Seifer considered his options. He didn't really imagine Squall appreciating conventional foreplay. Nor did it really seem that appropriate, which left him without much to go from.

"So... what will it be, Squall?" Seifer asked, deciding the direct route would probably win Squall's approval. "Mutual masturbation? Oral? Or will you let me fuck you?"

Just as gray-blue eyes began narrowing, Seifer continued. "Before you glare at me for that last bit, no, I don't like being fucked. Simple as that, I don't find any pleasure in it."

When Squall's features relaxed somewhat in reply, Seifer knew he had gotten his point across.

"Your choice. You instigated this," Squall said, his tone of voice verging on blame.

At the words, Seifer's face lit up in amusement. He really couldn't believe his luck. "Well..." he began. "I think I might know something you'd like."

As Squall watched the blond walking towards him in a way not entirely unlike how the blond usually engaged him in battle, Squall became wary. Instinctively moving into his fighting stance as he picked up on all the signals, the brunet was prepared when the blond's assault came.

Grabbing hold of Squall's hands from their position of defense, Seifer forced them downwards and sideways. As Squall's arms relaxed in Seifer's hold, Seifer let go of them before swiftly forcing Squall onto the bed, the younger man not expecting the sudden attack. Realizing his mistake as he felt himself connect with the covers, Squall immediately rolled to his right, trying to distance himself. Unsuccessful, he was caught lying on his front, arms trapped beneath him, whilst Seifer used all his weight to keep him in place.

"See... I think you like this," Seifer hissed with the effort of trying to keep the brunet beneath him in place. At the words, Squall stilled.

Putting all his weight on his knees, Seifer leant back and released his hold on Squall once more. Beneath him Squall turned to face him, cheeks rosy from exertion.

Lowering himself to sit on Squall, Seifer couldn't **not **notice the hardness at the front of Squall's trousers, but bit back the urge to comment. Instead, the defiant look to Squall's eyes made the blond momentarily lose control. Hungrily grinding himself against Squall he tried to appease his growing lust. On their own volition, Seifer's hands sought out slim wrists, moving them to rest aside brown locks. The brunet wasn't putting up a fight and when Seifer paused his grinding, Squall pressed himself up against the blond to prolong the pleasure. Leaning back to take in the sight of the brunet splayed out on the bed below, Seifer couldn't help a low chuckle.

Gray-blue eyes were on Seifer immediately, trying to read his expression as the blond began working on Squall's belts. Seifer's moves were rough and impatient; entirely acceptable in Squall's mind. Squall had never enjoyed intimacy, but what was happening between him and Seifer he could deal with. It felt natural.

Belts off, Seifer began unzipping Squall's trousers, looking up to lock eyes with the usually stern man. Smirking, Seifer kept his eyes on slightly irritated gray-blues whilst hooking his fingers under Squall's trousers and boxers before tugging them downwards.

Raising his hips to aid in the movement, Squall bit his lower lip and closed his eyes as cold air rushed against his naked skin. Feeling Seifer's calloused hand close around his cock seconds later, Squall frowned, the connection a strange mixture of finality and uncertainty.

Stroking Squall slowly and firmly, Seifer kept his eyes fixed on Squall's pale lips. It hadn't taken the blond long to figure out that was where Squall had the most trouble hiding his true emotions. Enjoying the feel of Squall's cock warm and hard in his hand, Seifer increased the speed until Squall threw his head back against the bed, the movement alerting Seifer just in the nick of time. Against his will, Seifer removed his hand, immediately gaining an icy stare from the brunet. He wasn't about to let the brunet come. Not yet.

"I think you'll like this too," Seifer continued, one of his hands moving to grasp a discarded belt.

In a blur of movement Seifer grabbed one of Squall's arms before sitting on it, holding it in place and blocking Squall from interfering. With Squall thrashing behind him, Seifer worked quickly to place the belt around the younger man's wrist. Belt in place, Seifer let go of the arm and instead worked on capturing the other but lost his hold on the buckling brunet.

Moving further onto the bed, Squall managed to distance himself from Seifer and raised himself onto his knees. He wasn't going to make it easy for Seifer. Putting up a fight was much more satisfying, but he didn't try to unclasp the belt hanging off his right wrist.

Still wearing clothes from his waist down, Seifer clambered onto the bed as well. Inching closer to Squall on his knees, he held a couple of belts in his left hand whilst wagging his eyebrows in challenge. They both knew there wasn't going to be any escape for the brunet.

Initiating the wrestle, Squall launched himself at Seifer's side, pushing the man towards the bed. Grabbing one of the blond's arms, Squall held on roughly whilst putting all of his weight on Seifer side, forcing the man onto his back, Seifer's free arm caught beneath him. Straddling the blond, Squall replaced his hold on the blond's arm with the pressure from his left leg, forcing the arm flush against Seifer's body.

At the sight of a naked Squall straddling his stomach, Seifer promptly decided that from then on all their spars would have to be in the nude. Eyes roaming Squall's lean back, narrow waist and round bottom, Seifer stilled his fighting, eagerly anticipating Squall's next move.

Seifer wasn't surprised when he felt Squall tugging at his trousers. Nor was he surprised when Squall glanced back over his shoulder briefly to study Seifer as the brunet realized Seifer wasn't wearing any underwear.

Using his legs, Seifer managed to kick off his trousers whilst Squall remained in the same position, unmoving, most likely temporarily lost in Squall World.

Recognizing his momentary advantage, Seifer buckled beneath the younger man, throwing them both sideways before crushing Squall beneath him. Remembering his intentions, Seifer grabbed a protesting wrist as Squall desperately tried using his other arm to gain enough leverage to push himself off the bed. Working swiftly, Seifer had the belt tied around Squall's wrist in seconds. Grabbing Squall's other wrist, Seifer forced the two wrists together above Squall's head using all his strength to hold down Squall whilst tying the two belts together.

By then both men were breathing heavily, neither of them noticing the intimacy of their position before Seifer removed his hold on Squall's wrists, the belts successfully immobilizing the younger man's hands. Seifer's hard cock was pressed against Squall's crack, the larger man's legs enveloping Squall's.

Testing his restraint, Squall felt it tighten against his wrists. Moving his elbows beneath him, Squall used all his strength to try and push the blond off him.

Feeling Squall push against him, Seifer quickly rolled off, wanting to make sure he hadn't gone too far. Sitting up, he watched as Squall unhurriedly rolled onto his side, the brunet immediately locking eyes with Seifer. The gray-blues were steely, giving nothing away. After moments of sizing each other up, Squall broke the silence.

"Do it," he said, challenging the blond to continue.

By Squall's side almost instantaneously, Seifer forced the brunet onto his back before releasing the belt holding Squall's wrists together, sending a quick glance towards the top of the bed, indicating his intention to Squall.

Moving further up the bed, Squall wasn't startled when Seifer grabbed one of his wrists harshly and brought it close to the headboard.

"Trust me," Seifer said, not looking at the brunet, instead focused on tying one of Squall's wrists to the bed.

Squall followed Seifer's movements from behind brown locks, much more turned on by being tied up by Seifer than he cared to admit.

"I am," Squall finally spoke and jade eyes immediately landed on his own.

"Good," Seifer said, smirking, before moving on to fastening the other belt to the bed.

Admiring his work, Seifer let his eyes feast on the naked body before him. He knew the slightly irritated and annoyed look on Squall's face was just a facade, the slight bob of the younger man's cock giving Squall.

Leaning down to cover the brunet's body with his own, Seifer watched as gray-blue eyes closed in pleasure. Placing his head next to Squall's, he spoke softly. "Just say stop."

Understanding the meaning behind Seifer's words, Squall reopened his eyes to look on whilst Seifer got off the bed. As Seifer grabbed his previously discarded shirt, Squall's eyebrows narrowed in uncertainty, unable to follow the blond's train of thought.

"Close your eyes," Seifer demanded as he moved to sit next to Squall.

Doing as Seifer had told him, Squall forced himself to empty his mind as he lay in wait. Feeling soft fabric against his forehead, Squall's brows wrinkled even further. He wasn't certain he would enjoy being blindfolded.

"Trust me," the blond's voice broke his train of thought, repeating the words from earlier.

Every touch was amplified as Squall felt hands roughly grab hold of his knees before sliding them apart. Unable to do anything but listen and feel, Squall lay there, the game of anticipating Seifer's every move putting him on edge, each touch more intense than he would have deemed possible.

Tracing his fingers slowly and seductively against the inside of Squall's thighs, Seifer was immensely pleased that he had managed to persuade Squall to go along with the restraints. Hopefully they would become one of the reasons for Squall to come back for more.

Moving away from Squall so their bodies were no longer touching, Seifer placed his tongue against the soft skin along the inside of Squall's left elbow.

Immediately turning his head to see what was happening, Squall remembered too late that he was blindfolded. The resulting chuckle coming from the blond made Squall frown in annoyance, but he didn't move his head back.

Letting his tongue travel along Squall's lean arm, Seifer was rewarded with a tiny startled gasp.

Almost immediately, the tongue was removed, leaving Squall deprived until he felt something slightly warm and wet at his side. Startled, he jerked against his restraints, the slow trail of Seifer's tongue almost ticklish against his skin. Then it stopped again, making Squall frown as he felt nothing but the cold air against his skin. But then a quick lick at his most sensitive area made his hips arch involuntarily in need. Sucking in his breath, Squall lay in wait, impatiently wanting Seifer to pick up his pace. If it didn't happen soon, then Squall sure as hell would make him. One way or another.

Sensing Squall's growing impatience, Seifer took hold of the younger man's cock roughly, stroking him purposefully.

Startled by the sudden rough treatment, Squall let out a string of moans until he became aware of what he was doing. Seifer's hand on him felt amazing. The feel was nothing like the few times he had handled himself. And it was sending him close to the edge already, the intense feel making his eyes roll back in pleasure. But then Seifer stopped his movements again, all too soon. As the deprivation stretched on, Squall voiced his dissatisfaction.

"Seifer," he hissed out menacingly, stretching out the man's name.

"Yes, Squall?" Seifer said back, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice. It didn't help when Squall raised his head off the bed to face the blond in warning, obviously oblivious to exactly how silly he looked trying to pull of looking threatening whilst wearing a blindfold.

When wetness engulfed Squall's cock seconds later he threw his head backwards and bit down on his lower lip as hard as he could to keep the pleasure from erupting from his throat in a wanton moan. But soon, all he felt was suction, pressure, and wetness; all in a place that made him push back into the heat whenever it disappeared. It wasn't long before he was coming, his mind bursting into a million pieces. He didn't even realize when the warmth around him disappeared, his breath still ragged and brain disconnected from the world around him. As his breathing finally calmed and senses returned, Squall felt the mattress dip between his legs. He wasn't surprised when Seifer gently spread his legs further apart. He wasn't really surprised either when he felt something slick against his entrance.

Hooking both his hands under Squall's knees, Seifer pushed them up and backwards. Moving forwards, Seifer pushed himself against the brunet's opening, watching as Squall once more bit his lip. Forcing himself inside without much preparation, Seifer couldn't stop a curse from spilling off his lips. Watching Squall's expression closely, he didn't miss the man's jaws clenching and forehead creasing into a frown.

"Too much?" Seifer asked, holding still.

Relaxing his muscles, Squall forced out his reply. "No," he said, wanting the intense mixture of pain and pleasure Seifer had made him experience before. Even though he wouldn't admit it, that was one of the reasons why he had decided to go upstairs. He knew Seifer could give him exactly what he wanted.

Forcing himself further inside, Seifer closed his eyes, needing to block out the all too arousing sight beneath him. Pausing before slowly sliding back out, Seifer held his breath. As he repeated the action and became accustomed to the incredible tightness around him, he felt confident enough in not losing it then and there to reopen his eyes and look at the breathtaking sight below.

Spotting Squall's renewed erection, Seifer smirked in satisfaction. Grabbing the hard member he began stroking it roughly.

"Faster," Squall spoke in annoyance, tilting his hips to better meet Seifer's thrusts.

Frowning slightly at the command, Seifer decided to obey and increased his speed, pleased when Squall threw back his head and started gasping for air with each plunge. Unable to coordinate thrusting and stroking at the faster pace, Seifer released Squall's glistening cock.

Spurred on, Seifer kept increasing the pace, enjoying the reactions he was drawing from Squall far too much. Driving himself into the brunet repeatedly, he snarled, lust driving his every move. Tightening his holds on Squall's legs, the blond gained more force behind each thrust, causing the brunet to push his chest off the bed and arch his neck backwards in ecstasy.

Looking down, Seifer watched as Squall's cock bounced hard against the fighter's firm stomach before moving his eyes to look at his own member pounding mercilessly into Squall. Wanting to go deeper, Seifer leant forwards whilst pushing Squall's legs further up, decreasing the distance between them. Slamming himself into the brunet below, Seifer let himself go completely. He knew Squall could take it. Feeling hard heat slapping against his stomach, Seifer on the other hand couldn't take it any longer. Along with a litany of curses he emptied himself into the panting brunet, sweat soaked and flush with heat.

Gasping for air, feeling his orgasm subside, Seifer slowed down to collapse on top of the brunet. Breathing heavily in order to ground himself, it was a while before he was drawn back to reality by the warm body beneath. Raising himself to sit up, leaning back on his heels, cock still buried deep inside Squall, Seifer's eyes traveled the length of the brunet. Grabbing Squall's still hard cock Seifer set a fast pace, slowly pushing in and out of the brunet whilst pumping him mercilessly.

A satisfied smile graced Seifer's lips as he manage to make out an almost inaudible 'yes' amongst the younger man's quick breaths. And then Squall was coming, white liquid landing against the brunet's pale stomach. Licking his lips, Seifer felt his semi-erect cock regains some of its hardness, but pulled out when Squall's breathing finally slowed down.

There was no other way to describe it. Seifer was beyond addicted. If Squall wasn't going to come back for seconds, Seifer was going to have to find another way of persuading the brunet. For the third time in a row Squall had managed to make each and every one of Seifer's previous sex encounters seem bleak and tedious. Like fucking duties.

Leaning forwards to push Squall's blindfold upwards, Seifer lost his breath when gray-blues opened to stare at him intently. There was something hidden in their depths; the brunet's usual shields no where in sight. Instead a relaxed expression of wonder graced the man's features. Time stood still as the two rivals looked at each other, understanding dawning on a completely different level.

Stealing a glance at usually pale lips now tinged red, Seifer licked his lips, unconsciously leaning closer.

As gray-blue eyes narrowed at Seifer's movement the blond caught on just in time to stop himself and moved to sit at the edge of the bed. "Good, huh?" he asked over his shoulder, pausing for a second before moving to grab some boxers.

Making his way back to the brunet's side, Seifer began undoing the belts still tying the brunet to the bed.

"Yeah," Squall said, not afraid to admit that the pleasure had been exactly how Seifer had described it; mind numbing.

Free once more, Squall massaged his sore wrist as he followed the blond's moves around the room with his gaze before the blond disappeared into the bathroom. Squall still couldn't form a coherent thought, his body sore and bruised but at the same time tingling pleasantly. He didn't quite know what to make of what had happened. He knew he wanted more. It had felt good, amazing even. Natural. Like something they could do and then forget about. Until the next time they felt like it.

Feeling something wet and hot land on his stomach, Squall was torn from his thoughts. Seeing the wet towel lying across his stomach, he began cleaning himself. Next to him, Seifer pulled back the duvet and got into bed as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Slightly uncomfortable at the proximity, Squall got out of the bed in response, throwing the towel to the floor when he'd removed the last traces of sex from his body. Laying eyes on his boxers he quickly put them on whilst keeping his back to Seifer.

On the bed Seifer lay watching Squall in silence. "Come back to bed," he finally spoke in a tired voice when the brunet began gathering his clothes.

As Squall eyed the bed in uncertainty, Seifer knew it would be tough persuading the brunet to stay. He did have an inkling of how to make it more likely though, years of experience with the brunet's temper proving useful. Turning to lie on his side whilst facing away from the center of the bed, Seifer closed his eyes and got comfortable, showing Squall that he was interested in nothing but sleep.

Watching as Seifer got comfortable, Squall stood motionless, unable to decide whether to go downstairs to lie on the couch or to get into bed next to Seifer. The comfy bed. It was big enough, he reasoned. They would be able to sleep side by side without any contact.

Entirely too tired to think too hard about the matter, Squall placed his clothes on a chair close by before getting into the bed as well, lying as far away from Seifer as possible. The awkwardness Squall had expected never came and minutes later both men were sound asleep.

* * *

Waking with a start, Seifer sat up in the bed. Glancing at his alarm clock he was surprised to see it was only five thirty in the morning. Even more surprising was the image of someone else lying next to him in bed. Someone not usually associated with looking cuddleable.

Smiling softly, Seifer let himself gaze at the younger man lying next to him in bed. Head turned sideways, brown locks were spread like a halo around Squall's face, arms splayed upwards on each side of the brunet in a pose of complete relaxation, his chest rising and sinking softly in the cold morning light. The duvet had been pushed down, not covering anything waist up.

Something unfamiliar was growing inside Seifer. Something he had remained separated from for far too long; happiness.

Smiling, Seifer tore his eyes from the brunet to get up. He knew there was no hope of falling back asleep with something so tempting lying within grasp and he was certain the brunet wouldn't be too appreciative at being woken up to satisfy the blond's needs. But after what had happened the night before, Seifer was fairly certain all he would need for a repeat performance to occur was patience.

Stealing one last glance at the sleeping man, Seifer exited the room.

* * *

**A/N:** Wow, another chapter finished. This is turning out quite a bit longer than I imagined. But I really shouldn't be surprised - that's always the way it goes for me. I just can't stop myself from getting lost in the details. Probably, hopefully, maybe... about halfway through the story now.

All my love to everyone who's reviewed so far - every single review makes me smile and brightens my day ^.^ Also thanks so much to the amazing Aerawyn for taking time to point out my mistakes *heavy bow*. I hope I've managed to catch more of the errors this time - I think I was too eager to get the last chapter out to proofread it properly (since I'd already made everyone wait so long at that point in time). And to Itavita - I definitely need a beta and will try to look for one. I am tempted to plead and beg you, Aerawyn, but I also find betaing a story isn't the most pleasant of endeavors and I don't want to ruin the story for you.

I usually reply to each signed review (on FF that is - I still haven't figured out if there is a way to do so on AFF), but I didn't manage to do so last time, so sorry to everyone who reviewed - I'll make sure to reply to those of you who are so kind to leave a review of this chapter. Go on - I'll looooooove you (unless you flame me of course ^^;).

Special thanks again, as always, to Baby Chiba and Wolkje. And Fantje... I think I have a crush on you ^.~


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